President Muse Bihi denies cancelling UAE airbase agreement in Berbera

Somaliland President HE Muse Bihi today denied that his government revoked the agreement with the United Arab Emirates to build a military base in Berbera.

The president confirmed that the agreement is intact and nothing changed in it. It did not take long for President Muse Bihi to clarify his baffling remarks on Saturday regarding the Berbera airport. The president has yesterday said the airport will be used for civilian purposed without indicating the fate of the agreement with the UAE to build an airbase at the site.

Today, on Sunday, the president confirmed that the agreement was not rescinded or altered in any way:

Recently we have granted Abu Dhabi a military airbase. They have built very well and it is complete. the 25-years long agreements stay the same. Nothing has changed.

President Muse Bihi

President Muse Bihi while attending the graduation ceremony of Burao University said the airport will be used y both civilian airlines and the UAE military. He added that is fit to serve both needs as it is big enough even to launch space shuttles.

An airport which I think is the biggest in Africa has been constructed. The military and civilians share airports all over the world. So it became necessary that the airport is used by civilians and to become an international airport. And at the same time utilized by the militarywhen the need arises. So. it is big development. Today, the biggest airplanes in the world, even the space shuttles can land on this airport.

President Muse Bihi

The UAE began construction of the airbase in 2017 at the airport of the Somaliland port city Berbera. The military base agreement followed a multi-million dollar 30-years concession for the emirate port operator DP World to manage Somaliland’s port, Berbera.