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United Arab Emirates Wants to Open Military Base in Somaliland
[SPUTNIKNEWS] UAE delegates submitted a formal request to establish a defense base in the region, Somaliland foreign minister Sa’ad Ali Shire said Wednesday.The base in the Horn of Africa is thought to be a strategic geopolitical asset in the UAE’s fight against Yemen’s Houthi ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The Yemeni government has accused the Houthis of having ties to the Iranian government, which wouldn't suprise most of us. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews... armed political opposition faction. "The UAE has been building influence in the Horn since the mid-2000s," according to security analyst Alex Mello, who said the naval bases are "just the latest phase." "For years, the UAE has invested in the Horn of Africa, East Africa and the Indian Ocean islands supporting tourism, port infrastructure, natural gas, food security and development aid," Mello noted. But the base could unsettle Somaliland’s regional partners, including Djibouti and Æthiopia. "We don’t want to lose relations" with regional partners such as Djibouti, Shire said, adding that the approval process would be decided by the president and parliament. Some reports indicate that Djibouti’s government has expressed disapproval of Somaliland’s pivot to collaborate with the UAE as a stronger ally. Further, "the move would likely enrage Æthiopia, a major ally for Somaliland which is the only country that opened an embassy in Somaliland," Hiiraan reported. Posted by: Fred 2017-01-13 |
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