British Newspaper: UAE Using Airport in “Puntland” to Aid Militias

Sudan Events – Agencies

The London-based “Middle East Eye” published a report prepared by Ragip Soylu, stating that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) deployed an Israeli-made radar system in Somalia under a secret agreement brokered by the President of the autonomous Puntland region, Said Abdullahi Deni, for the management of Bosaso Airport without parliamentary approval.

The report indicated that the military radar in Puntland was installed to protect Bosaso Airport from potential Houthi attacks coming from Yemen.
Satellite images revealed the installation of an ELM-2084 3D Multi-Mission electronically scanned radar system at the airport.

The military radar in Puntland was installed to protect Bosaso Airport from potential Houthi attacks coming from Yemen.

Open-source data shows that the UAE has been increasingly using Bosaso Airport to supply Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with military equipment.
Earlier this year, Sudan filed a lawsuit against the UAE at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of supporting genocide due to its ties with the RSF paramilitary group.

A regional source said: “The UAE installed the radar after the RSF lost control over most areas of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum,” adding, “The radar’s purpose is to detect threats from drones or missiles and provide early warning, particularly against attacks launched by the Houthis targeting Bosaso from outside Somalia.”

The radar was deployed at the airport late last year, although Middle East Eye could not independently verify this claim. A second source reported that the UAE uses Bosaso Airport daily to support the RSF, with large cargo planes regularly arriving to load weapons and ammunition—sometimes up to five large shipments at once. Middle East Eye requested comment from the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

When approached for comment, Puntland’s State Minister for Presidential Affairs, Abdifatah Abdinuur, declined to respond and instead posted mocking images targeting Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The radar’s purpose is to detect threats from drones or missiles and provide early warning against them.

Two separate Somali sources claimed that Puntland President Deni did not seek the approval of Somalia’s federal government or Puntland’s Parliament for this arrangement.
Puntland operates as a de facto independent entity with autonomous governance while formally remaining part of Somalia.

A Somali source familiar with the matter said: “This is a secret deal, and even the highest levels of the Puntland government, including the cabinet, were unaware of it.” He added, “The silence of the Somali federal government on this issue is puzzling.”
The source also referred to reports about Colombian soldiers being brought to Bosaso Airport for redeployment to Sudan, although it remains unclear who issued their visas, as Mogadishu was not involved in these arrangements.

The UAE has maintained strong relations with the Somali government, providing support and training its forces to combat insurgent groups like Al-Shabaab. The UAE has been particularly active in Puntland, which is geographically close to both Yemen and the Emirates.

The UAE had previously trained forces in Puntland to combat piracy. Deni is viewed as pro-UAE due to the financial support he receives, which bolsters his political ambitions.
The source noted: “There are presidential elections in 2026, and he needs all the support he can get to win national votes.”

Salem Said Salem, a regional expert and executive director of the Sidra Institute in Puntland, noted that despite social media reports and satellite imagery, Deni and his administration have not commented on the presence of the radar.
“This silence suggests the allegations are true,” he said, adding that he was not surprised by this development given Deni’s longstanding ties with the UAE.

Salem also pointed out that Mogadishu likely chose not to antagonize the UAE and preferred to remain silent regarding the UAE’s military activities in Puntland.
He said: “President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud relies on Emirati support to combat Al-Shabaab and pursue peace in the country. It makes sense that these issues would be handled behind closed doors.”

Mohamud’s government has recently faced considerable pressure, with Al-Shabaab making significant gains near Mogadishu, in addition to growing opposition to his leadership due to the clan-based political system in Somalia.
Mohamud has proposed shifting from a clan-based electoral system to a one-person, one-vote system, but the proposal has faced resistance from prominent politicians, turning it into a contentious issue.

The UAE is also active in the breakaway region of Somaliland, where it has made significant investments, sparking resentment from Mogadishu.
Over the weekend, Somali Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi stated that his government had submitted a letter to the UAE urging Abu Dhabi to stop treating Somaliland President Muse Bihi Abdi as if he were the leader of an independent state.