Somalia criticizes constituents for cutting ties with Qatar

MENA

Published: 2017-09-22 14:13

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 12:48


Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire's is attempting to consolidate Somalia's regions with foreign policy. (Photo Credit: Reuters)
Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire's is attempting to consolidate Somalia's regions with foreign policy. (Photo Credit: Reuters)

The Gulf dispute has rippled across the region, with Somalia's federal government rebuking its three semi-autonomous regions for cutting ties with with the Persian Gulf State. 

The Galmudug region of central Somalia issued a statement earlier this week, stating its support for Saudi Arabia and the UAE in their decisions to impose the embargo on Qatar. The announcement comes after last month's statements by Puntaland in the Horn of Africa, and Hirshabale south of Galmudug.

Somalia's federal government responded by stating that only it has the authority to speak in terms of foreign affairs.

Somalia is a strategically important location with an awkward relationship between states in the region. Somalia's airspace remains open for Qatar Airways, which is crucial as a lifeline amid the blockade. 

The country's economy is also dependent on trade with Saudi Arabia, although it is also increasingly close to Turkey, which supports Qatar in the Gulf dispute. 

Arab Gulf states continue to pour resources into Somalia's semi-autonomous regions, causing internal conflict between the country's constituencies. 

"[The Arab states] are trying to give more energy and emphasise more their relations with these regional governments, trying to pressure them to go against the federal government," stated Somalia expert Ahmed Roble, based in Nairobi. 

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are two of Somalia's top export partners, with the UAE supplying crucial imports such as electronics and building material. Turkey has also poured in more than $1bn in aid since President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Somalia in 2011.

Turkey is also expected to open a military base in the capital of Mogadishu this month.

"The cabinet reaffirms the federal government's decision in June ... that Somalia is neutral about the conflict of Gulf countries,"said a statement issued by the office of Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire.

Khaire emphasized that "the conflict be solved brotherly, peacefully and diplomatically".