Abu Dhabi’s Somali engagement spurs activity further south

 The UAE has long held strong ambitions for its presence in East Africa and the Indian Ocean region. While its involvement in Yemen has been overt in recent years, its engagement in the Horn of Africa has tended to be more discreet and convoluted. Abu Dhabi’s interests have ranged from the uncontroversial desire to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia to the more contentious aim of challenging Turkey’s growing influence in the region.