The memorandum of understanding was sealed between Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and Saudi counterpart Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz during talks in Riyadh, according to Somalia’s Ministry of Defence.
The agreement “aims to strengthen the frameworks of defense and military cooperation between the two countries, and includes multiple areas of common interest, serving the strategic interests of both parties,” the ministry said in a statement.
Prince Khalid confirmed the deal on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, though neither government disclosed specific details about the scope or timeline of military assistance.
The Saudi agreement follows a similar defense pact Somalia signed with Qatar last month, underscoring Mogadishu’s accelerating push to shore up regional support as tensions simmer across the Horn of Africa.
Qatar Deal Emphasizes Training and Capability Development
The Qatari pact, announced by Somalia’s state news agency, focuses on “military training, the exchange of expertise, the development of defense capabilities, and enhanced security cooperation” aimed at promoting regional security and stability.
Doha characterized the agreement as strengthening “areas of joint cooperation in a way that serves mutual interests and enhances defense partnerships.”
Somalia’s diplomatic offensive comes as the Horn of Africa grapples with mounting instability triggered by Israel’s world-first recognition of Somaliland’s independence in December. The move sent shockwaves through the region, with Mogadishu warning that Israel intends to establish a military installation in the breakaway territory that could threaten neighboring states.
Somalia Vows to Confront Israeli Military Presence
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told Al Jazeera last week that his government “will never allow” an Israeli base on Somaliland soil and pledged to “confront” any attempt to establish one.
“We will fight in our capacity. Of course, we will defend ourselves,” Mohamud said. “And that means that we will confront any Israeli forces coming in, because we are against that and we will never allow that.”
A Somaliland official told Israel’s Channel 12 in January that an Israeli military base remains “on the table,” though negotiations over specific terms continue.
The developments have upended regional dynamics, prompting Somalia to sever all agreements with the United Arab Emirates last month. Mogadishu cited “harmful actions” that undermine the country’s “national unity and political independence.”
The rupture came amid reports that the UAE facilitated Israel’s recognition of Somaliland. The Gulf state, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020 under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords, has cultivated extensive economic and security ties with Somaliland, including a 30-year concession for UAE company DP World to operate the strategic port of Berbera.
Gulf Rivalries Spill Into Horn of Africa Tensions
The UAE declined to endorse a joint Arab-Islamic statement condemning Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, though it subsequently issued a statement with the African Union in January pledging “support for Somalia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability.”
Somalia’s break with the UAE coincided with deteriorating relations between Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, longtime allies whose interests have increasingly diverged across regional conflicts.
Tensions flared in December when Saudi forces bombed what Riyadh described as a UAE weapons shipment destined for the separatist Southern Transitional Council in Yemen. Saudi Arabia also backed calls by Yemen’s internationally recognized government for Emirati forces to withdraw from the country. The UAE denied the allegations.
Abu Dhabi has separately faced accusations of supporting Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which has battled the Sudanese Armed Forces for nearly three years in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions.
Saudi Arabia, an ally of Sudan’s government in Khartoum, condemned the RSF on Saturday following attacks in Sudan’s Kordofan region that killed dozens, including women and children.
Riyadh also denounced “foreign interference” by unspecified parties, saying the “continued influx of illegal weapons, mercenaries and foreign fighters” was prolonging the nearly three-year war. Saudi Arabia did not identify which countries it was referring to.
Sudan filed a case against the UAE at the International Court of Justice last year, accusing it of complicity in genocide allegedly committed by the RSF against the Masalit community in West Darfur state.
The UAE dismissed the lawsuit as “nothing more than a cynical publicity stunt” and said it would seek immediate dismissal of the case.
The military agreements between Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Qatar signal a potential realignment of security partnerships in the Horn of Africa, a strategically vital region that controls key shipping lanes connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.
Analysts say the pacts reflect Mogadishu’s determination to prevent what it views as Israeli encroachment that could destabilize an already volatile region struggling with terrorism, humanitarian crises and competing international interests.
