United Arab Emirates (UAE) will continue to help Somalia in training and giving military support to Somalia, Puntland Leader said Monday, dismissing reports of the UAE withdrawal from Somalia.
In conciliatory tone, President Abdiweli Ali Gas said the Gulf Nation has historic relations with Somalia.
“UAE has historical relationship with Somalia particularly Puntland and is the biggest trading partner of Somalia. The dhows and ships from UAE are the lifelines of Somalis all over Somalia particularly Puntland,” said Dr. Gas.
The leader highlighted that the training mission of Arabian Peninsula nation will not be disrupted barely 24 hours after UAE declared that it cut off the military training and funding to Somali forces.
“We expect that UAE will continue its support of these forces. Without them [UAE] there will be security challenges in Puntland and will only help our enemies particularly Al-Shabab and ISIS. We asked our UAE to redouble its efforts and help Somalia in the fight against terrorism,” he said.
President Gas noted that the government of UAE supported Somalia in training of its forces and in fight against illegal fishing.
“UAE is a strategic partner in the fight against terrorism, against Piracy, against illegal fishing, illegal human trafficking in Somalia and particularly in Puntland. The UAE has trained and equipped more than 2000 force of PMPF (Puntland Marine Police Force),” he told the reporters.
The remarks of Gas come on the heels of UAE’s statement to cancel the military training of Somali forces.
In a statement posted on WAM news Agency, Abu Dhabi said it was effectively stopping military and payments of salaries of Somali soldiers.
“The UAE has decided to disband its military training programme in Somalia which started in 2014 to build the capabilities of Somali Army,” reads the statement.
The Arabian Peninsula nation has trained hundreds of Somali forces in Mogadishu and Puntland.
The relations between Somalia and UAE hit rock bottom when Somali officials confiscated three unmarked bags of money at Mogadishu Airport.
On Saturday, the raw between the countries worsened after Puntland aviation officials reportedly restrained UAE plane at Bosasso Airport following stand-off between the officials and UAE workers who refused to comply the normal aviation checks
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