Financially strained, Qatar’s clout in Africa diminishes

[cheifaqilbari]

Cairo: Nearly four months on, the Gulf crisis is reshaping alliances in Africa and placing pressure on wavering countries in the continent, analysts have said.

In June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic ties and transportation links with Qatar over the country’s support for terrorism and Iran.

Backing the Saudi-led bloc, several African countries have cut off or downgraded their diplomatic links with Qatar, which has wielded influence in the continent since the 1990s.

With Qatar branded as a patron of militant groups, Mauritania, Chad and Niger, which have long suffered from terrorism, have recalled their ambassadors from Doha.

Gulfnews.com




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Libya, Egypt’s troubled neighbour, has repeatedly accused Qatar of sponsoring radical groups on its territory.

With the Qatari economy increasingly hit by the dispute, Doha’s financial clout in Africa is diminished, according to Khalid Hanafi, a political analyst.
“Signs showing Doha’s shrinking influence in Africa comes in geopolitical terms to the benefit of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Emirates and Bahrain, who, with the exception of Bahrain, are closely linked with the continent’s countries,” Hanafi wrote in the Arabic-language newspaper Al Arab.

“This should prompt the three countries to expand political, security and economic partnerships in order to curb attempts by Iran and Turkey to take advantage of the Qatari shrinkage to fill the vacuum in Africa.”
Balance loyalties

Some African countries have struggled to balance loyalties during the standoff. While Sudan has historically enjoyed strong ties with Saudi Arabia, especially after Khartoum broke off diplomatic relations with Iran in solidarity with Saudi Arabia in 2014, Qatar has thrown lots of money at Khartoum.

“Sudan has obtained Saudi financial aid in return for sending the troops to Yemen. But ties between the two countries have recently become cold over Khartoum’s neutral position in the Gulf crisis,” Raslan told Gulf News.

“Sudan wants to maintain normal links with both Saudis and Qataris at the same time. This is becoming difficult as the crisis is dragging on without a solution.”

Energy-rich Qatar has been a key financial backer of Sudan since its southern part became independent in 2014.

Qatari investments in North Sudan are expected to reach 3 billion dollars by the end of this year.

In 2011, Qatar brokered a peace deal between Khartoum and rebels in the western province of Darfur.

Fallout from the ongoing Gulf spat has already hit Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa region.
Days after the eruption of the dispute, Qatar withdrew its peacekeeping forces from a disputed border area between Eritrea and Djibouti.

The move came after Djibouti downgraded its links with Doha.
Eritrea has taken the Saudi side.

Tensions between Eritrea and Djibouti

The Qatari troop pullout has reignited tensions between Eritrea and Djibouti, with the latter accusing the former of seizing the disputed area.
The flare-up has raised worries in Ethiopia, which has long-standing hostilities with neighbouring Eritrea.

Eritrea has strong links with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have used the Eritrean port of Assab as a base for their campaign against rebels in Yemen.

Somalia, a strife-torn Horn of Africa country, has been sucked into the Gulf standoff, according to Raslan.
Mogadishu has been reluctant to take sides while the Somaliland Republic has announced backing for the anti-Qatar alliance.

“The Somali government is ineffective, but it does not want to lose Saudi Arabia and the Emirates,” Raslan said. “Mogadishu is also receiving aid from Turkey.”

Ankara has supported Qatar in the current Gulf crisis and dispatched military forces to Doha.

Days after the start of the row, Qatar sent its Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sultan Bin Sa’ad, on an Africa tour that took him to Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia.

“Prolongation of the crisis means more pressure on the African countries that are still neutral to choose between their interests with Qatar and those with the Arab Quartet,” Raslan argued.

[AwRastaale]

Taking news or analyses from GulfNews about Qatar is like taking news or affairs about Somaliland from Puntland or Baraxleey website.

If you want actual facts it's best to seek information from neutral and independent media from independent nations.

This is just a silly long useless article from salty Emirates.

Chief Aqil of Bari you're bit strange ninyo. We don't care about Arab beef. It is no different than our tribal feuds. No biggy.

End of the day they overly rich spoiled Arab motha fokkaz who have nothing else but to fart on each others' faces. We don't need to take sides. We don't care if UAE is funding Berbera. No need to emotionally engage. Just a business. If Qatar can over us better deals then we will give Qatar the contract.

[paperino]

SL's gov chose to side with Saudi Arabia and UAE because of money, not principle.

Somalia's gov chose to be neutral because of principle.

[original dervish]

Speaking about Berbera.....I haven't heard anything about the new port for a few months???????

[grandpakhalif]

Berbera port will soon be unheard of just like when the Emirates bought out Aden Yemen. They ran it too the ground to prevent competition with Dubai port. Berbera is their next victim

[paperino]

Berbera port will soon be unheard of just like when the Emirates bought out Aden Yemen. They ran it too the ground to prevent competition with Dubai port. Berbera is their next victim

That makes sense. I hope the people of Waqooyi Galbeed realize their gov made a bad deal.

[original dervish]

The iidoors are between a rock and a hard place.....their strategy is all wrong.
Instead of spending decades begging foreigners to develop the port....they should have positioned the port as a Somali port first and foremost.
They could have cut red tape and reduce tariffs encouraging Somalis from everywhere to invest.

[grandpakhalif]

Berbera port will soon be unheard of just like when the Emirates bought out Aden Yemen. They ran it too the ground to prevent competition with Dubai port. Berbera is their next victim

That makes sense. I hope the people of Waqooyi Galbeed realize their gov made a bad deal.

They suffer from 'Muh Qabil' syndrome and are placated by the ever looming faqash boogeyman. These folks still have nightmares about 88. Its very hard to cure PTSD on a massive scale. No wonder they built the paper machet airplane.

[Adali]

If the Qataris get broke we will just get aid from the Saudis, we will not get involved in two arabs fighting, the day the stop fighting you will be scapegoated, never take sides between two brothers.

[Zoomalia4Cvcks]

Look at these crackheads jealous of SL port deal still? Bad deal? A bad deal you've got to be f-king kidding me lmao these crackheads supporting AMISOMalia have lost the plot. You dumb knuckle draggers saying you're heard nothing means the deal doesn't exist anymore ??

I'm dead look at these khat addicted bastards lool

[Prlnce]

Berbera port will soon be unheard of just like when the Emirates bought out Aden Yemen. They ran it too the ground to prevent competition with Dubai port. Berbera is their next victim

That makes sense. I hope the people of Waqooyi Galbeed realize their gov made a bad deal.

The people of Waqooyi Galbeed made few bad deals one of them forming a union with Somalia. All their problems can be traced back to that bad deal.

[Prlnce]

SL's gov chose to side with Saudi Arabia and UAE because of money, not principle.

Somalia's gov chose to be neutral because of principle.

Three provinces in Somalia Puntland, Southwest, Galmudug embarrassed the federal government by siding with Saudi Arabia and UAE was that because of Arab money or principle?

[Prlnce]

Speaking about Berbera.....I haven't heard anything about the new port for a few months???????

Same whats up with that...also haven't heard anything of the Lord of the Dhulbahantes Ali khalif since running off to Hargeisa any news on that front ??????

[original dervish]

Seems that I hit a nerve.