Epstein Leaks Reveal: The UAE Used the Influence of the Convicted Businessman to Push for International Secession of “Somaliland”
Secret correspondence between Sultan bin Sulayem and Epstein includes wealth maps and a Washington lobbying plan to secure political recognition in exchange for economic interests in the Port of Berbera
NYN | Reports and Analyses
Leaked documents reveal direct correspondence between Bin Sulayem and Epstein
New leaks from Jeffrey Epstein’s documents have revealed details of secret correspondence that took place between Sultan bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World, and the convicted American businessman Jeffrey Epstein. The correspondence included explicit Emirati requests to support securing international recognition for the “Somaliland” region as an independent state.
According to the documents, the correspondence—dated February 2018—contained strategic briefings drafted by Abu Dhabi to promote the vision of the secessionist authority, reflecting the UAE’s efforts to obtain international legal cover for its growing influence in the region.
Wealth maps and investments: Linking recognition to economic interests
The documents show that Sultan bin Sulayem provided Epstein with detailed maps outlining natural resources and major investment opportunities in the region, in an attempt to link DP World’s economic interests to the political recognition of “Somaliland.”
These interests intersect directly with the management of the Port of Berbera, the region’s main economic artery, in addition to projects to build Emirati military and intelligence bases. This, according to the documents, prompted Abu Dhabi to intensify pressure in international corridors to bypass the sovereignty of the central government in Mogadishu.
Washington as the pressure target—and Epstein’s network as the access channel
The leaks indicate that the UAE relied on Epstein’s network of relationships to gain access to decision-making circles in Washington, with the aim of pushing toward recognition of the secessionist region. Such recognition would grant international legitimacy to Emirati moves there and protect its security and investment projects.
Mogadishu cancels agreements, accuses Abu Dhabi of turning the region into an intelligence arena
In a notable development, the Somali government announced the cancellation of all agreements with Abu Dhabi, citing what it described as the UAE’s alignment with efforts to recognize the region’s independence and accusing it of turning “Somaliland” into a security and intelligence sphere of influence for external actors.
January 2026: The UAE begins on-the-ground implementation steps
According to the report, the rupture between Mogadishu and Abu Dhabi reached its peak when, in January 2026, the UAE began officially accepting “Somaliland” passports and imposed restrictions on issuing visas to citizens of the federal government in Mogadishu. Somali sources described this as a clear shift from the planning phase to actual implementation.
News Summary
These documents, according to the leaks, indicate that the “Somaliland” file was not merely a passing political stance, but rather an integrated project tied to economic and security interests, and to attempts to use informal pressure channels to obtain international recognition that would entrench the reality of secession.
