According to a report by Middle East Eye, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud dismissed Defense Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur on Sunday following lobbying from the U.S. military. Nur has been reassigned as Minister of Ports. There are indications that the U.S. military is reducing its support for Somalia in its fight against al-Shabaab, a group designated as a terrorist organization by Washington.
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03-20, 2025Two sources familiar with the matter revealed that Washington was uneasy with Nur's commitment to deepening Somalia's cooperation with Turkey in the military, energy, and aerospace sectors, as the U.S. maintains closer ties with the United Arab Emirates in the Horn of Africa. Under Nur's leadership, Somalia and Turkey signed a comprehensive naval, trade, and defense agreement last February.
While the full details of the agreement have not been made public, sources say it grants Turkey the responsibility of protecting Somali waters, establishing a Somali navy, and assisting in the exploration of energy resources, in response to Ethiopia's military agreement with the breakaway region of Somaliland. Nur, a graduate of Ankara University, is fluent in Turkish and has cultivated strong relationships with Turkish leaders over the years.
A Somali official told Middle East Eye that U.S. military officials repeatedly pressured Mohamud to dismiss Nur, citing concerns about a lack of coordination with the U.S. military. "They also asked to see the February agreement," the official said. "These discussions occurred multiple times throughout the year as the U.S. lobbying intensified." The official also noted that Washington was unhappy with Turkey's plans to establish a space launch facility in Somalia and potentially launch rockets, which could be viewed as tests of long-range ballistic missiles.
Furthermore, it is reported that Ankara's recent agreements to explore for oil and gas resources within Somalia also displeased U.S. officials. The official and another source told Middle East Eye that Turkey's deployment of two Bayraktar Akinci armed drones to Mogadishu on Tuesday to combat al-Shabaab proved to be the final straw. "The Americans basically made it clear that if Nur was not removed, they would reconsider their security cooperation with Mogadishu in the fight against al-Shabaab," the second source said.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu issued a security alert, warning of potential al-Shabaab attacks on the city's airport and other locations, leading Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines to cancel flights. Meanwhile, this February, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes against ISIS leadership in Somalia. In March, Washington also cut funding to the Danab Special Forces, an elite Somali unit trained and supported by the U.S. Africa Command. Somali Finance Minister Bihi Iman Egeh told parliament that the government now needs to find alternative sources of funding to pay Danab's salaries. Ahmed Abdullahi Sheikh, former commander of Danab, praised Mohamud's decision to dismiss Nur. "I wholeheartedly welcome the leadership change," he said.
However, a Turkish official downplayed the impact of Nur's dismissal on Ankara-Mogadishu relations, emphasizing that Turkey's relationship with Somalia is based on institutional cooperation, not individual relationships. "This will not affect our relations," the official said. "All agreements with Mogadishu are signed with the government and the Somali president." The official also pointed to Turkey's significant contributions to Somalia, including investments in infrastructure and defense. Tunc Demirtaş, a regional expert at the Ankara-based think tank SETA, expressed confidence that Turkey will continue to support Somalia's counter-terrorism efforts. "Looking ahead, the focus will be on strengthening institutional structures, rather than individual actors, ensuring that strategic cooperation continues to serve mutual interests," he said.
