The United Arab Emirates began withdrawing personnel from Somalia’s port city of Bosaso after the federal government suspended security and defense cooperation.
Sources said most evacuated workers flown from Bosaso airport were Colombians employed by the UAE, which has close ties with Puntland authorities.
The visible removal of UAE equipment and staff signals rising tensions and possible restructuring of Abu Dhabi’s presence in Somalia going forward.
The flights follow Somalia’s cabinet decision to annul previous security and defense agreements signed with the United Arab Emirates last year earlier.
The move followed intelligence reports alleging a UAE military aircraft entered Somali airspace without permission carrying a Yemeni separatist leader recently reported.
Officials say the decision aims to end fragmented foreign policy that allowed regional states to maintain direct foreign relations independently for years.
Relations between Mogadishu and Abu Dhabi have sharply deteriorated as Somalia aligned with Saudi Arabia on Yemen’s political future amid regional tensions.
