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Hiiraan Online Today from Hiiraan Online: Somali Music advertisements Somalia confirms Bosaso-Sudan flights as UAE network faces scrutiny FacebookFacebook messengerTwitterWhatsAppLinkedInTelegramEmail Wednesday November 5, 2025 A cargo plane at Bosaso Airport, in Somalia's semi-autonomous region of Puntland, 22 November 2023. © Daniel Irungu/EPA/MaxPPP Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s defence minister has confirmed that planes have been flying from Bosaso, the commercial hub of Puntland, to Sudan, the first official acknowledgment from Mogadishu after widespread speculation over the nature of the flights and their connection to Sudan’s ongoing war. Appearing before the Upper House on Wednesday, Defence Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi said the federal government was aware of the flights but did not know what cargo the aircraft carried or who operated them. “Before the Somali people, I confirm there are planes departing from Bosaso Airport bound for Sudan,” Fiqi told lawmakers. “However, we do not know what they transport or who operates them.” Fiqi, alongside the chief of the Somali National Army, was summoned by senators to answer questions about national security, including the recent reports of unregistered aircraft moving between Somalia and Sudan. The minister’s statement follows weeks of reporting by Hiiraan Online and other outlets detailing how Bosaso’s airport and port have become integral to the United Arab Emirates’ expanding regional footprint. A Middle East Eye investigation published October 31 revealed that UAE-linked IL-76 cargo planes have landed frequently at Bosaso Airport since 2023, offloading “hazardous” shipments before connecting flights continued toward Sudan. Senior Puntland Maritime Police Force officers told reporters the materials were tightly guarded and transferred immediately, with no documentation indicating domestic use. A separate Guardian- La Silla Vacía investigation published October 12 found that Bosaso’s UAE-operated base also served as a transit hub for Colombian mercenaries fighting alongside the RSF in Sudan’s Darfur region. The report cited interviews and flight records showing former Colombian soldiers passing through the base under private security contracts arranged by Emirati-linked firms. The United Nations Panel of Experts has since accused the UAE of breaching arms embargoes, tracing British-made components and Emirati-manufactured Nimr Ajban armoured vehicles to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF has been implicated in massacres and war crimes in North Darfur and Khartoum, with over 150,000 people killed and millions displaced since the war began in April 2023. Satellite imagery published by OSINT analysts showed that the UAE has constructed and expanded a network of military installations along Somalia’s northern coast, including in Bosaso and Somaliland’s Berbera, without formal authorization from Mogadishu. The facilities include radar towers, fortified hangars, ammunition depots, and logistics yards overlapping with the UAE-trained Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF). Former Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalan Muse Ali said last week that “any authorization by Somali authorities for such flights would constitute complicity in aiding a force accused of atrocities.” He called for an independent investigation into flight clearances and cargo logs since mid-2025, warning that proven involvement could expose Somalia to international sanctions. The revelations have also reignited concerns about Somalia’s airspace sovereignty and the erosion of federal oversight in regional territories. Bosaso’s strategic location along the Gulf of Aden makes it an attractive logistics hub but also exposes Somalia to the risk of becoming entangled in regional conflicts. Although the UAE has long provided financial and security assistance to Somalia, relations with Mogadishu have deteriorated as Abu Dhabi cultivated direct ties with regional administrations. Analysts say the UAE’s partnership with Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni, a long-time ally of Abu Dhabi, allows it to operate semi-autonomously in Somali territory, challenging the federal government’s constitutional control over foreign defence agreements. Minister Fiqi’s remarks mark the first time the federal government has publicly acknowledged the flights, though he stopped short of confirming whether any investigation had been launched. Lawmakers have urged the defence ministry to investigate the flights, identify the operators, and ensure that no violations of Somali or international aviation laws have occurred. Despite mounting evidence, the UAE has consistently denied supplying weapons to the RSF or conducting military operations from Somali soil. Puntland officials have also remained silent on the allegations, while Mogadishu has not indicated whether it will pursue an inquiry into the flights or potential violations of Somali law. 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