Somalia’s cabinet said on Monday that it had voided all of the country’s agreements with the United Arab Emirates as tensions between the two countries came to a head after the UAE was accused of using Somalia to help a Yemeni separatist leader flee last week. 

What happened: Somalia’s Council of Ministers, the country’s cabinet, announced the decision on Monday after meeting in Mogadishu. In a statement, the Somali government said the decision includes defense and security agreements and “applies to all agreements and collaborations in the ports of Berbera, Bosaso, and Kismayo.” 

Berbera, the port in self‑declared Somaliland, is majority‑owned and operated by UAE logistics firm DP World under a long‑term concession, making it a significant hub for regional trade and infrastructure investment. It is controlled by Somaliland. The UAE also has a partnership in the Kismayo Port in the southern Somali semiautonomous state of Jubaland and in the Bosaso port in the semiautonomous region of Puntland. 

It is unclear how these partnerships will be affected by the government's decision, as Mogadishu does not have full control over these territories. 

“This decision has been related to reports and strong evidence of illegal measures to harm the sovereignty, national unity, and political independence of the Federal Republic of Somalia,” the statement continued.  

The government asserted its “responsibility and independence in relation to its territory, its ports, its security issues and its foreign affairs.”