MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Somalia’s defense minister confirmed Wednesday that aircraft regularly depart from Bosaso airport bound for Sudan, though the federal government lacks information about their cargo or final destinations, raising concerns amid reports that the United Arab Emirates is using the Somali port city as a hub for weapons transfers to Sudan’s ongoing conflict.
Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, addressing the upper house of parliament, said Mogadishu has no official data on the flights. His remarks came as international media media report that the UAE has moved heavy weapons, military vehicles, and foreign mercenaries to Sudan in support of the Rapid Support Forces, which are battling the Sudanese army and have been accused of widespread atrocities since the conflict erupted in 2023.
While Fiqi did not name the UAE directly, his comments follow months of allegations that Emirati cargo planes are using Bosaso airport in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region to move weapons and equipment into Sudan through neighboring countries. Puntland authorities have faced mounting scrutiny for allegedly allowing the shipments despite Somalia’s declared neutrality in the Sudanese war.
The UAE remains a key partner of Somalia’s federal government, providing financial assistance, including partial payment of salaries for some Somali army units. However, Abu Dhabi has scaled back its direct support to Mogadishu in recent years, redirecting aid and influence toward regional administrations such as Puntland, Jubaland, and Somaliland.
The reports of arms transfers through Somali territory have placed the federal government in a delicate position, balancing its ties with both the UAE and Sudan, while seeking to maintain its sovereignty and avoid entanglement in external conflicts.
Somalia has not issued an official statement addressing the alleged flights or the broader accusations of arms smuggling through its airports.
If verified, the flights could risk drawing Somalia into regional power struggles and undermine its fragile efforts to rebuild national institutions and assert federal control over its territories.
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