Mogadishu, Somalia – The United Arab Emirates and Sudan have launched a high-level diplomatic campaign to secure Somalia’s support ahead of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), scheduled to open on September 9, 2025.
On Wednesday, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud received formal messages from UAE President Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Sudan’s Transitional Council leader, Gen. Abdelfattah al-Burhan. The communications, delivered through official diplomatic channels, underscore the growing regional maneuvering as states seek to rally backing for their positions before the global forum.
While the specific contents of the letters were not disclosed, diplomatic sources suggest that both Abu Dhabi and Khartoum are keen to ensure Mogadishu’s alignment on critical resolutions expected to surface during the Assembly. The timing of the outreach highlights Somalia’s increasingly strategic role in regional geopolitics.
The exchanges come just months after Mogadishu sharply criticized Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for a series of brutal attacks in Kassala and Port Sudan. In May 2025, Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the RSF’s actions as “a dangerous escalation that breaches international standards,” in one of the strongest statements it has issued on the Sudan conflict.
Analysts say Somalia now finds itself in a delicate balancing act. On one hand, Mogadishu values its longstanding ties with the UAE, which has invested heavily in infrastructure, humanitarian aid, and military cooperation in Somalia. On the other, its public stance against RSF violence places it at odds with some of the political calculations emanating from Sudan’s leadership.
As the countdown to the UNGA begins, regional observers will be watching whether President Mohamud signals a shift in tone or maintains his government’s earlier position. Somalia’s vote, though often overlooked in global diplomacy, could carry symbolic weight in shaping broader African and Arab consensus on peace and security issues.