UAE military Airbase agreement remains the same-Somaliland President

Somaliland President on Sunday announced that the agreement between Somaliland and United Arab Emirates on Military base in the port city of Berbera will continue and the military base construction will also continue.

Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi made this remarks at Burao University graduation ceremony on Sunday.

The military base at Berbera airport has been changed for civilian whilst the UAE military facility is under construction, but the president did not say where the military base will be constructed.

“It is a inevitable for the airport to be used as a civilian and civilian airport and will be an international airport ”, Bihi said.

He added that the military will use the airport when they needed.

“The agreement we have with the military base is the same, we have not withdrawn from the government.” The President also said.

On September 14,Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi announced the  Berbera airport become a civilian airport in a televised speech .

On  Feb. 12, 2017, Somaliland parliament had overwhelmingly approved the deal to allow the United Arab Emirates to establish an air and naval base in the port town of Berbera.

The UAE had begun the construction of the base on a site at the airport of port city Berbera, and as the agreement allows the deal, the UAE will be allowed to maintain its presence for 30 years.

Berbera is less than 300 km (190 miles) south of war-torn Yemen, where UAE troops are fighting rebels as part of a Saudi-backed coalition.

** Writing by Mohamed Duale Edited By Mohammed Dhaysane

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