Somali Minister Finds 'External Elements' Under Rocks Shaped Like UAE Dirhams
Somalia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ali Omar, points to 'external elements' and 'foreign interference' as the culprits behind his country's destabilization, specifically naming UAE support for separatist factions. This isn't exactly groundbreaking news for anyone who’s been paying attention to the horn of Africa. The UAE, with its vast financial resources and strategic ambitions, has
been actively cultivating relationships and investing heavily in various Somali regions—sometimes at odds with the central government in Mogadishu—for years. They've signed port deals, established military bases, and funneled cash in ways that conveniently bolster their influence while undermining any semblance of unified Somali sovereignty. (Who needs a strong central government when you can cut
bespoke deals with regional warlords, right?) It appears the 'external elements' in question might just be wearing designer Kanduras and buying up real estate. One might wonder if Al Jazeera, being based in Qatar—a regional rival of the UAE—might be more inclined to foreground this particular finger-pointing. But regardless of the media outlet's own geopolitical baggage, the fact remains: when a
powerful foreign state pumps money and resources into sub-national entities in a vulnerable nation, 'fragmentation' isn't a bug; it's often a feature. And the suffering population gets to live with the consequences of this generous 'philanthropy.'