UAE-Backed Puntland Forces Seize Turkish Military Shipment Bound for Mogadishu

Regional forces in Somalia’s Puntland state have intercepted a vessel reportedly carrying a Turkish-marked weapons shipment destined for Mogadishu, raising tensions between Somali federal authorities and the semi-autonomous Puntland administration.

According to senior security officials cited by Arlaadi Media, the ship was seized in the coastal town of Bareeda, in the Ras Caseyr region. The vessel was reportedly transporting a significant consignment of military equipment labeled with Turkish markings, allegedly en route to Turkish forces supporting the Somali National Army (SNA) in the capital.

The operation was carried out by the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF), a unit heavily trained, equipped, and financed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While presented as a regional maritime security force, PMPF has increasingly become a geopolitical tool serving Abu Dhabi’s broader regional ambitions—both within Somalia and beyond.

This seizure is not only a direct affront to the federal government and Türkiye, but also a signal of the deepening alignment between Puntland’s leadership under Said Abdullahi Deni and the UAE’s controversial regional strategies. Sources familiar with intelligence reports indicate that PMPF facilities in Bosaso have been used as a covert logistical hub by Emirati operatives to channel weapons and mercenaries to conflict zones, including Sudan.

In particular, evidence points to the UAE using Bosaso as a rear base in its support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan—a paramilitary group implicated in war crimes and ethnic cleansing, especially in the Darfur region. The RSF’s devastating campaign against civilians, including recent atrocities in El Geneina, has drawn international condemnation. Yet arms shipments and tactical support have reportedly continued, some allegedly routed through Somali soil under the protection of PMPF units.

The silence of Somali federal authorities and Türkiye so far may reflect the diplomatic sensitivity of the incident, especially as Türkiye has made large-scale investments in Somalia’s security and infrastructure sectors since 2011. For Ankara, this could be a test of its strategic patience and long-term partnership with Mogadishu.

By allowing its territory and forces to serve as extensions of foreign proxy agendas, Puntland risks drawing Somalia further into regional conflicts it cannot afford. The implications for Somali sovereignty—and the credibility of external actors operating under a banner of “stability”—are serious.

This development underscores how foreign-funded militias, under the guise of local autonomy, can become destabilizing instruments in the Horn of Africa. What began as an internal power play between Puntland and Mogadishu now appears to be part of a far broader contest spanning from the Red Sea to the Nile.