The Kenyan government has lambasted United Arab Emirates (UAE) lead proxy war to undermine Somali government, the first direct comment since March when Somalia urged UN to take against UAE’s blatant violations of the country’s sovereignty.
Somalia took its campaign against the UAE over the DP World controversial deal to the global arena seeking the intervention of the UN Security Council.
Kenya’s largest Independent newspaper, Daily Nation quoting officials said Kenya warned against the activities of foreign powers seeking to undermine the government in Mogadishu are a threat to regional security.
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta last week suggested that some foreign entities were damaging the foundations AMISOM had laid in Somalia.
“The region is not at peace. Somalia remains troubled, largely by foreign agents who weaken its government, who divide its people, and who threaten to reverse the gains we have so painfully won under AMISOM,” he said in his State of the Nation address on Wednesday.
Through it all, we remember that if our brothers and sisters in Somalia prosper, we prosper; if they are safe, so are we.
“It has been our policy, then, to help them regain the peace and prosperity they once knew”
The country’s Parliament majority leader, Adan Barre Duale has also warned the Arabian Peninsula nation of infringed on Somalia’s sovereignty.
“What is going on in Somalia is proxy war led by UAE mercenaries to undermine the sovereignty, legitimate government and institutions. Somalis must not allow foreign mercenaries to destabilize their country,” he said.
Kenya government expressed concern over UAE’s tactics to stab Somali Federal Government in the back by engaging controversial deals with Puntland and Somalia.
Kenya said such attempts could weaken the government in Somalia.
Late last year, Dubai has sought to cultivate direct ties with Somaliland and Puntland states to exert pressure on Somali Federal Government after the government of President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo decided to stand on a neutral ground during the crisis of Gulf Nations last year.
In June 2017, Saudi Arabia led countries including Egypt, UAE and several others had imposed a blockade on Qatar over allegations of backing Iran and several terror groups.
Late March, Somali ambassador to the UN Abukar Osman called on the Security Council the actions of UAE in Somalia constituted a violation of international law and infringed on Somalia’s sovereignty.
“These actions by the UAE in Somalia are in clear violation of international law, the Charter of the United Nations and the norms of international cooperation,” Osman said.
The envoy noted the naval base agreement between Somaliland and DP World in 2015 which according to the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea would constitute a violation of the existing arms embargo in Somalia as it would involve importation of military materials into Somalia which would be a direct violation of Somalia’s arms embargo.
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