In brief
- Horn Diplomat reported on 2020-03-04 that the UAE government cancelled construction of a military base in Berbera, Somaliland.
- The report attributes the cancellation announcement to Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi's televised speech on 14 September 2019.
- The report does not provide evidence of what has happened at the Berbera site since its publication.
On 4 March 2020, Horn Diplomat reported that the government of the United Arab Emirates had cancelled the construction of a military base in Berbera, Somaliland. The report, presented as a developing story, states the cancellation without citing a primary UAE government document.
The context is a 12 February 2017 parliamentary approval allowing the UAE to establish an air and naval base at Berbera airport. According to Horn Diplomat, the UAE began construction at the airport site after that vote. The agreement reportedly allowed the UAE to maintain its presence for 30 years. Berbera sits less than 300 km south of Yemen, where UAE troops have fought as part of a Saudi-backed coalition.
Horn Diplomat also reported that Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi announced the cancellation of the Berbera agreement on 14 September 2019 in a televised speech at Berbera airport. The report quotes Bihi as saying the site "today's become a civilian airport" and that "this week the construction of the airport will begin and will be one of the biggest airports in the world." President Bihi's statements are reported by Horn Diplomat and not independently verified here.
Horn Diplomat also cited The National, a UAE daily, reporting that the Emirates has had a military base in Eritrea since 2015 but plans for another base in Somaliland were cancelled. The report does not establish whether the UAE government, the Somaliland government, or both formally cancelled the original agreement, nor does it reconcile President Bihi's description of converting the site to a civilian airport with the reported cancellation of the military base.
The Horn Diplomat report does not provide evidence of actual construction start, scope, contractor, or expenditure by the UAE at Berbera airport. It also does not confirm what has happened at the Berbera site since the report's publication on 4 March 2020.
Frequently asked questions
On what grounds was the base cancelled?
The Horn Diplomat report does not give specific grounds. It attributes the cancellation announcement to Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi but does not provide a UAE government statement of reasons.
What was the scope of the base construction?
The report states the UAE was to establish an air and naval base at Berbera, but does not specify construction details, contractor, or contract value.
How does this affect other UAE projects in Berbera?
The report does not discuss other UAE projects. It mentions the UAE's military base in Eritrea since 2015 and the Berbera base cancellation as reported by The National.