Somalia has signed a military cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia, weeks after a similar deal was inked with Qatar. The move comes amid growing tensions in the Horn of Africa region following Israel's recognition of Somaliland.
According to Somalia's Ministry of Defence, the memorandum of understanding aims to strengthen defense and military ties between the two countries. However, neither country has provided further details about the agreement.
The development follows a similar deal signed with Qatar last month, which focuses on military training, expertise exchange, and security cooperation. Doha described the pact as an attempt to strengthen areas of joint cooperation that serve mutual interests and enhance defense partnerships.
Meanwhile, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud warned that Mogadishu "will never allow" Israel's planned military base in Somaliland, saying it will confront any such move. A Somaliland official had previously hinted at the possibility of an Israeli military presence in the region.
The decision to sign a new deal with Saudi Arabia follows Somalia's recent cancellation of agreements with the United Arab Emirates due to what it described as "harmful actions" that undermined its national unity and independence. The UAE had been accused by Somalia of facilitating Israel's recognition of Somaliland, while Riyadh has condemned Emirati support for separatist forces in Yemen.
The move could be seen as a strategic effort by Mogadishu to counterbalance regional tensions and bolster its own security capabilities amid growing concerns about Israeli military activity in the region.
According to Somalia's Ministry of Defence, the memorandum of understanding aims to strengthen defense and military ties between the two countries. However, neither country has provided further details about the agreement.
The development follows a similar deal signed with Qatar last month, which focuses on military training, expertise exchange, and security cooperation. Doha described the pact as an attempt to strengthen areas of joint cooperation that serve mutual interests and enhance defense partnerships.
Meanwhile, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud warned that Mogadishu "will never allow" Israel's planned military base in Somaliland, saying it will confront any such move. A Somaliland official had previously hinted at the possibility of an Israeli military presence in the region.
The decision to sign a new deal with Saudi Arabia follows Somalia's recent cancellation of agreements with the United Arab Emirates due to what it described as "harmful actions" that undermined its national unity and independence. The UAE had been accused by Somalia of facilitating Israel's recognition of Somaliland, while Riyadh has condemned Emirati support for separatist forces in Yemen.
The move could be seen as a strategic effort by Mogadishu to counterbalance regional tensions and bolster its own security capabilities amid growing concerns about Israeli military activity in the region.
... I mean, it's like they're trying to create an imbalance in the region or something. They've just cancelled agreements with the UAE and now they're partnering up with Saudi? It feels like they're playing a game of musical chairs with regional powers. What's their real goal here? And what about Somaliland? Are they just gonna let Israel build a military base there without giving it any thought? 
I think Somalia's being super naive thinking that this deal is all about strengthening defense ties...
. what's crazy tho is how this all started with israel recognizin somaliland - shows how fragile these regional relationships can be 
. anyway, it's good to see somalia standin up for itself, even if it means makin some tough choices 
. Somalia's trying to balance its own security, but it's hard when u have countries on both sides trying 2 pull u into their conflicts 
. Can't somalia just get some peace and stability already? 
Somalia's president sounds pretty firm about not letting Israel set up a base in Somaliland, but you never know what'll happen when big powers get involved 
. It's all about how these agreements affect the people of Somalia, you know? They gotta feel like their country is being protected and represented 
this is getting messy 
saudi arabia vs qatar 
who's going to win 
with israel in the mix 
it's like a game of risk 
but somalia needs to be careful 
and now somaliland is all like "oh no 
we gotta keep our guys 
away from them" 
anyway 
it's clear that somalia wants to defend its interests 
fingers crossed 
What do you guys think Somalia is trying to achieve here? Are they just looking for a stronger military partnership or is there something more sinister going on? 
. But at the same time, it feels like they're just trying to balance out the regional tensions and not get caught in the middle... kinda hard to keep track of what's going on 
i mean, somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is being super clear that he doesn't want any part of it but what if saudi arabia has something to do with it?