Somalia Says UAE Aid Bypassed Government, Fuelled Local Militias

Qatar, January 24 2026 Somalia’s Defence Minister, Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, said on Friday that past aid from the United Arab Emirates sometimes bypassed official government channels reaching armed groups in some regional states, undermining federal authority and national unity.

“When discussing the support the UAE provided to Somalia, it is important to note that this support did not always come through official government channels. At times, it was instead directed to armed local groups operating in certain regions of the country, with the aim of undermining the central government’s authority and disrupting the country's sovereignty and unity,” Fiqi told Al Jazeera Net.