Somali government plans to take control of its forces trained by United Arab Emirates amid escalating diplomatic raw.
Mohamed Mursal Sheikh, Somali Defense Minister who spoke to the media in Mogadishu said his Ministry is charting out plans to move the UAE’s trained forces from the Dubai training bases in Mogadishu to the government controlled military barracks.
“The forces are trained for the government therefore we are planning to move them to their respective camps. We really appreciate UAE’s unforgettable support for Somalia,” said Mursal.
The minister said the government and UAE had a discussion and agreed on the handing over of the forces that are currently camped at UAE bases in the capital.
The government of Abu Dhabi has been accused of interfering Somalia’s internal affairs and signing backdoor agreements with some regional states in the country.
On Sunday, Somali government had seized an aircraft carrying 9.6 million USD at Adan-Adde International Airport amid intense political crisis in the country.
The $9 million had since been taken the Central Bank of Somalia pending investigations.
UAE denounced the seizure of the money on board of the plane from Abu Dhabi.
In a statement the Arabian Peninsula nation said the money was allocated to support the Somali army and trainees in Somalia.
The Abu Dhabi said Somali security Personnel seized the cash at gunpoint, a move dismissed by Somali government.
Discussion about this post