![Somali Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ali Omar sits for an interview with Al Jazeera English. [Al Jazeera]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/somali_minister_state_foreign_affairs_ali_omar-1768318597.jpg?resize=730%2C410&quality=80)
Somali minister explains why UAE ‘smuggling’ of fugitive was ‘last straw’
Somali minister explains why UAE ‘smuggling’ of fugitive was ‘last straw’
Somali government minister Ali Omar told Al Jazeera that the UAE improperly used Somali airspace by smuggling “fugitive” Yemeni separatist leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi through his country, which was the “last straw” that pushed Somalia’s government to cancel all agreements with the UAE.
Published On 13 Jan 2026