Somali regions dismiss government decision to sever UAE ties

Three autonomous regions in Somalia have rejected the central government's decision to cut ties with the United Arab Emirates, raising tensions over the Gulf state's influence in the Horn of Africa.

The Somali government on Monday said it had revoked all agreements with the UAE, accusing it of undermining the country's sovereignty.

The decision included all defence and security partnerships as well as agreements covering the country's ports, many of which have received heavy investment from Abu Dhabi.

Somaliland dismissed the decision in a statement issued later on Monday, arguing that the central government has no legal authority over its territory.

"Somalia’s daydreaming changes nothing," the territory's presidency minister, Khadar Hussein Abdi, wrote on social media, calling the UAE a "trusted friend".

"The UAE is here to stay, no matter what a weak administration in Mogadishu says."

Somaliland was joined by Puntland in the country's north and Jubbaland in the far south, where the UAE operates several ports. Puntland also hosts an Emirati military base at Bosaso.

Dubai-owned logistics giant DP World said Tuesday it is continuing operations at Somaliland's Berbera port, a shipping hub strategically located on the Gulf of Aden into which it has invested hundreds of millions of dollars.

Tensions between Mogadishu and Somaliland have risen in recent weeks following Israel's recognition of the breakaway state and allegations that the UAE used its territory to help Yemeni separatist leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi escape the country.

The Somali government believes that Abu Dhabi has backed Israel's support for Somaliland's independence, which has raised fears that thousands of Palestinians from Gaza could be forcibly transferred to the Horn of Africa.

The UAE has built up significant influence in the strategic region in recent years, investing heavily in Somalia's military and logistics infrastructure, and funding and training its army.

The breakdown in relations has led Somalia to appeal to help from its Middle Eastern allies, which include Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt.

In an interview on Al Jazeera last week, the country's defence minister asked Saudi Arabia to remove the president of Somaliland as it did to al-Zubaidi, the head of Yemen's Southern Transitional Council.

Al-Zubaidi was forced to flee Yemen earlier this month after Saudi Arabia launched military action against the UAE-backed separatists.