MOGADISHU – President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has publicly defended the Federal Government’s decision to terminate all agreements with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), accusing the Gulf nation of bypassing Somalia’s sovereignty.
In a national address following the Cabinet’s move to scrap defense and commercial treaties with Abu Dhabi, the President argued that the drastic diplomatic step was necessary to protect Somalia’s “territorial unity.”
“We Did Not Rush”
Pushing back against criticism that the decision was abrupt, President Mohamud stated that the government had exercised patience and engaged in a “long assessment” before acting. He emphasized that Mogadishu had made repeated attempts to reset the relationship on terms that respected the Federal Government’s jurisdiction over the entire country.
“Unfortunately, the UAE government did not treat us as a single independent sovereign state,” the President said. “We did not rush… but it became mandatory that we take the decisions that were issued yesterday.”
The President characterized the continued existence of the previous agreements as a direct “threat to Somalia’s nationhood,” implying that the UAE’s direct dealings with Federal Member States—specifically Puntland—undermined the federal structure.
See Also: Puntland Rejects Federal Decision to Cancel UAE Pacts
Rallying Public Support
The President praised the “patriotic sentiment” of the public following the announcement, framing the diplomatic row as a matter of national dignity rather than political maneuvering. He assured citizens that while Somalia seeks positive relations with the global community, it draws a red line at “anything that harms its territorial unity.”
This address sets the stage for a constitutional showdown, as Puntland has already declared the federal cancellation of the Bosaso Port and security deals “null and void.”
