Somali UAE Agreements are being stopped by the government in Mogadishu and many people think this is a very bad move that will hurt the country more than it helps. For a long time the United Arab Emirates has been a strong friend that put a lot of money into building our roads and training our soldiers to fight the terrorists. To just wake up and say that all the Somali UAE Agreements are finished is a very risky path that makes the nation look unstable to the rest of the world. We need to remember that building a country requires strong partners who have the money and the experience to help us grow. By breaking these deals the leaders might be throwing away the best chance we have for a better economy and a safer life for every citizen.
The loss of security and military training
One of the biggest problems with ending the Somali UAE Agreements is what happens to our military forces that were getting help from Dubai. The UAE was paying for the training of special units and giving them the equipment they need to protect our cities from Al-Shabaab. Now that the government is canceling the Somali UAE Agreements there is a big worry about who will pay these soldiers and how they will keep fighting without the right tools. If the army becomes weak because of this political fight the terrorists will find it very easy to attack us again. We should not play with the safety of our people just because the politicians are having a disagreement about some papers.
Economic damage to ports and trade
Our ports are the most important part of our wealth and the Somali UAE Agreements were the key to making them better and busier. The companies from the UAE have built some of the best ports in the world and they wanted to do the same for us in places like Berbera and Bosaso. Stopping the Somali UAE Agreements means that these projects might stop and the thousands of jobs they created will disappear overnight. It is very hard to find other investors who are willing to spend millions of dollars in a place that has so many problems. We are scaring away the business people who can actually help us lower the prices of food and clothes in our local markets.
Diplomatic isolation in a difficult region
The UAE is a very powerful country with many friends in the Middle East and the West so ending the Somali UAE Agreements makes us look very isolated. We need all the friends we can get to help us in international meetings and to give us aid when there is a drought or a famine. When we destroy the Somali UAE Agreements like this we are telling our neighbors that we are not a reliable partner to work with. It is much better to sit down and talk about the problems instead of just shouting and canceling everything without a backup plan. Diplomacy is the only way to protect our interests without making more enemies in a region that is already full of trouble.
The struggle of the national budget
The government in Mogadishu already has a very hard time finding enough money to pay for schools and hospitals and the Somali UAE Agreements were a big help. The money and projects that came with these deals allowed the state to focus its small budget on other things that the people need. Now that the Somali UAE Agreements are gone the government will have to find new ways to get money which usually means higher taxes for the poor shopkeepers. We cannot build a nation on pride alone if the pockets of the people are empty and the schools don’t have enough books for the kids. It is a very sad situation when the leaders choose a fight over the well being of the families who are trying to survive.
Uncertainty for our workers abroad
We also have to think about the thousands of Somali people who live and work in the UAE and send money back to their families every month. If the relationship stays broken because of the Somali UAE Agreements cancellation these workers might face problems with their visas or their jobs. The money they send back is what keeps many small villages alive and losing that support would be a disaster for the local economy. We are putting the lives of our own people at risk when we act in a way that makes our host countries angry. The Somali UAE Agreements were more than just business they were a lifeline for many people who have no other way to make a living.
Read Also: Ethiopia Intel Chief Visit and what it means for the region
We have to ask if this decision was really made for the people or just for the pride of a few leaders in the palace. The Somali UAE Agreements were a bridge to a better future and now that bridge is being burned down for no good reason. We hope that the government will realize their mistake and try to fix the relationship before it is too late for all of us. A country that wants to be great must know how to keep its friends and respect its deals.
