Somalia signed a military cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia yesterday, February 8, 2026, in Mogadishu, following its termination of defense ties with the United Arab Emirates and a prior pact with Qatar last month, according to AfriME OSINT reporting the development as posted on X between 11:15 AM and 11:45 AM UTC on February 9, 2026. The agreement with Saudi Arabia builds on a similar defense cooperation pact Somalia concluded with Qatar last month, aimed at strengthening military ties and security coordination, as stated in the AfriME OSINT post quoting the announcement. This shift follows Mogadishu's decision to cancel its security and defense agreements with the UAE. No details on the specific terms of the Saudi agreement or official statements from the Somali government were provided in the report shared during the 29-minute window from 11:15 AM to 11:45 AM UTC today.
