ASMARA, Eritrea – Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki has launched an extraordinary verbal assault on the United Arab Emirates, accusing the Gulf powerhouse of deliberately stoking conflict in Somalia and Sudan as part of an “elusive dream” to build a maritime “empire of ports” across the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea.
In a remarkably candid interview published by Eritrea’s Ministry of Information, the long-serving leader questioned the motives behind Abu Dhabi’s aggressive foreign policy. “The big question arises: Why the UAE? This is particularly worrying for us now. Why would the UAE do this? One cannot comprehend it.”
The direct and detailed allegations signal a stark deterioration in relations between the two former allies, who once cooperated closely during the Yemen war, with the UAE using Eritrea’s Assab port as a key military base.
Afwerki portrayed the UAE as the central antagonist in multiple regional crises. “People often point fingers at the UAE, claiming they are behind all these mayhem. This is not a matter that needs proof,” he stated, adding that the web of interference was vast. “One can invoke not only what is happening in Libya but also what is being done through Chad, the Central African Republic, and Kordofan.”
An ’empire of ports’
At the heart of Afwerki’s critique is what he describes as a UAE-led ambition to control a vast network of ports, thereby dominating regional trade and security.
“If someone… is contemplating controlling the Suez Canal… controlling Jeddah, Port Sudan, Hodeidah, Djibouti, Assab, Aden, Berbera, Mogadishu, Mombasa, Lamu, and reaching as far as Dar es Salaam… how can one find a rational explanation for this ambition?” he asked.
He argued this expansionist policy dismisses local sovereignty, questioning the premise of UAE-led development projects. “They claim to ‘develop ports’ but are these no-man’s land? Are there no governments? Are there no people there who wish to develop their own investments, industries, and infrastructure?”
Afwerki also accused the UAE of using its immense wealth for “influence peddling,” alleging that humanitarian or environmental concerns were a smokescreen for political maneuvering.
“Billions of dollars are spent on issues like ‘climate change’ to fund political parties here and there,” he claimed. “There is no end to the billions that governments in this region receive from the UAE.”
Somalia and Sudan
The Eritrean president, who has led the Horn of Africa nation since its 1993 independence, singled out several active conflicts where he sees the UAE’s hand.
In Sudan, he lamented that “unnecessary external interference has taken the matter out of the hands of the Sudanese.” His claims align with reports from a United Nations panel of experts that presented credible evidence of the UAE supplying weapons to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Regarding Somalia, Afwerki directly questioned the UAE’s motives, asking, “What is the purpose of the interventions in Somalia? Why are they singling out and propagating the Somaliland issue?”
This is a pointed reference to the controversial port access deal between Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland, which Somalia’s government considers a violation of its sovereignty. The UAE is a major investor in Somaliland’s Berbera port.
He further alleged that weapons were flowing into Ethiopia, another regional heavyweight facing internal and external pressures. “The drones that have recently been landing in Addis Ababa, Debre Zeyit, and Bahir Dar—where did they come from? Who is bringing them?” he asked rhetorically. “The weapons that are being unloaded daily from huge transport planes are not hidden. What is the purpose?”
An ‘agent for others’
In his most explosive claim, Afwerki alleged the UAE was not an independent actor but a proxy for foreign powers. “I would say that all these missteps do not truly represent, in any conceivable way, the UAE. The UAE is acting as an agent of others. This is extremely worrying.”
He explicitly linked these actions to Israeli interests, stating, “The ultimate aim seems to create a conducive environment for Israeli control in the region.”
Visibly dismayed, Afwerki contrasted the UAE’s current actions with the legacy of its founder, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
“I first met Sheikh Zayed in 1972, 53 years ago, when the UAE was first established… He was an honorable man; a truly great Statesman,” he recalled. “For a country founded by such a noble man to be embroiled in such acts: Why? It remains unacceptable by all standards.”
The UAE has not yet publicly responded to the wide-ranging allegations. Abu Dhabi has consistently framed its foreign policy and investments, particularly through port operator DP World, as partnerships aimed at fostering economic development and regional stability.