Former Somali intelligence chief Abdullahi Mohamed Ali Sanbaloolshe has claimed that he met with leaders of Puntland, Jubaland, and Somaliland in the United Arab Emirates to discuss forming a political alliance aimed at removing President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud from power. Sanbaloolshe, a former director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), made these remarks in a recent interview. He named Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni, Jubaland leader Ahmed Mohamed Islam Madobe, and Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro as those he met in the UAE.
According to Sanbaloolshe, the discussions focused on bringing together political forces opposed to President Mohamud and determining the direction and next steps of a proposed alliance. However, Sanbaloolshe did not provide public evidence to show that the three leaders had agreed to participate in an effort to remove Mohamud from power. His claims could not be independently verified as of Sunday. Deni, Madobe, and Irro had not publicly responded to the allegations.
The remarks come amid increasingly strained relations between Somalia's federal government and the UAE. The UAE has longstanding political, commercial, and security relationships with several Somali regional administrations. Earlier this month, Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi accused opposition politicians visiting Abu Dhabi of meeting individuals linked to Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
Fiqi alleged that they were seeking to organize armed groups against the federal government, but he did not publicly produce evidence supporting the accusation. The UAE has repeatedly denied accusations that it militarily supports the RSF in Sudan. A U.N. fact-finding mission reported in September that investigators had found grounds to believe a network involving individuals and entities in the UAE and several other countries supplied the RSF with weapons, logistics, and personnel.
Relations between Mogadishu and Abu Dhabi deteriorated sharply this year. Somalia announced in January that it was terminating agreements with the UAE covering security and defense cooperation, federal institutions, and arrangements involving the ports of Berbera, Bosaso, and Kismayo. Somalia accused Abu Dhabi of actions that undermined Somali sovereignty.
President Mohamud has also accused the UAE of encouraging Somaliland's campaign for independence, an allegation Abu Dhabi has not publicly accepted. The political dispute comes as Mohamud's government faces separate confrontations with Puntland and Jubaland over constitutional changes, federal power-sharing, and the framework for national elections.
Sanbaloolshe himself has increasingly criticized Mohamud's administration after leaving government and has recently backed political protests in Hiiraan over representation and the electoral process in Hirshabelle. The situation remains complex, with multiple factors contributing to the tensions between the federal government and regional administrations.
Key points
- Sanbaloolshe claims to have met with regional leaders in UAE to discuss alliance against President Mohamud.
- Somalia and UAE have strained relations, with Somalia terminating agreements over security and defense cooperation.
- Mohamud's government faces confrontations with Puntland and Jubaland over constitutional changes and federal power-sharing.
