A Somali MP Accuses UAE of Siding with Ethiopia – Puntland Post

The President of the Federal Government of Somalia, H.E Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Mogadishu (PP News Desk) — A Somali MP has criticised the Federal Government of Somalia for not submitting bilateral agreements to the bicameral legislature. “It is incumbent on the Federal Government of Somalia to share with the legislature all bilateral agreements for discussion. The government signed a bilateral [defence] agreement with Ethiopia, and another [security] agreement with the United Arab Emirates. Other Arab countries have expressed support for our territorial integrity excellent the United Arab Emirates. We suspect that UAE is in cahoots with Ethiopia over the Memorandum of Understanding” said Mohamed Osman, a federal MP.

**The Somali language press release on the “renewal of the defence agreement” does not contain a reference to “maritime security cooperation”**

The Federal Government of Somali is reportedly dragging its feet to share the details of the defence pact with whose articles includes “cooperation on maritime security”, a reference that was left out in the Somali language press release “on the renewal of defence cooperation” first signed before 2016.

**Mohamed Omar: “We suspect that UAE is in cahoots with Ethiopia over the Memorandum of Understanding.”**

Addis Standard reported that a maritime cooperation clause was included in the agreement whose details the Federal Government of Somali keeps secret for fear of being accused of collusion with Ethiopia over the signing of the Memorandum Of Understanding with Somaliland President Muse Bihi, who claimed that President Mohamed had been aware of his intention to sign a MoU with Ethiopia.

“President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has to authorise the release of the details of defence cooperation agreement for discussion by MPs. We need to understand why the Somali Defence Minister Abdulqadir Nur allowed for the inclusion of maritime security cooperation in the renewal defence agreement despite Ethiopia being a landlocked country” said a Federal MP who spoke to Puntland Post on the condition of anonymity.

Last year, the UAE government and the Federal Government of Somalia signed a security agreement. The UAE parastatal DP World runs Berbera Port. In 2018 the previous Federal Government of Somalia protested a navy base that UAE built in Berbera without the authorisation of the Mogadishu-based government.

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