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| Africa Horn |
| UAE base in Somaliland to launch military operations |
| 2017-06-02 |
| [SHABELLENEWS] The UAE’s controversial military base in Somaliland could become operational within the very near future, the autonomous region’s foreign minister said on Friday. The base is still being constructed in Berbera, located 100km north east of the capital, Hargeisa, but UAE ships have already started docking at its deep-water port. "We don’t believe the use of the facility will add to the uncertainty and the conflict in the region," Saad Ali Shire told Voice of America. "UAE has already a base in Assab, Eritrea ...is run by the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), with about the amounts of democracy and justice you'd expect from a party with that name. National elections have been periodically scheduled and cancelled; none have ever been held in the country. The president, Isaias Afewerki, has been in office since independence in 1993 and will probably die there of old age... , which is operational, and the use of the base in Berbera is not going to add anything new to the conflict." Shire was previously extremely vocal in his opposition to the UAE base in Berbera and once threatened to resign over the issue. Neighbouring countries, Æthiopia and Djibouti were also opposed to the plan when it was first tabled, but appear to have changed their policies. Æthiopia will reportedly also be allowed to use the port once it is fully constructed. The minister said he had changed his mind for "economic reasons". "The agreement is [for] UAE to use Berbera airport and port as a military facility, and in exchange, the UAE will be building roads, a new airport, and funding health, education and water [and] energy," he said. The UAE has opened a number of military bases in the region in order to assist in its conflict in Yemen. The New Arab revealed the extent of the UAE’s involvement on the Yemeni island of Socotra earlier this month. Shire said the military base would be used for "training, surveillance and military operations." |
| Posted by:Fred |