A Comoros-flagged cargo vessel carrying military equipment destined for Somalia was intercepted and seized last week by Puntland Security Forces in the port city of Bosaso, prompting international condemnation and raising concerns of foreign meddling in Somalia’s fragile political landscape.
The vessel, reportedly en route to support a Turkish military contingent tasked with securing the construction site of a satellite communications station near Adale, east of Mogadishu, was halted under disputed claims by the Puntland Maritime Police Force, a paramilitary unit long believed to receive funding and intelligence support from the United Arab Emirates.
The Government of Türkiye has condemned the act as “an unprovoked and unlawful seizure,” with a senior official at the Ministry of Defense describing it as “piracy masked as law enforcement.”
Foreign Hands in Somali Waters
Multiple diplomatic sources confirmed to HoA that the seizure was not merely a local decision by Puntland authorities, but rather the culmination of a covert push by foreign actors to disrupt recent political developments in Somalia, particularly the official emergence of the new Federal Member State of SSC-Khatumo based in Las Anod.
“The UAE were taken off guard by the formalization of SSC,” said a senior Somali intelligence officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. “Their long-term reliance on Somaliland and Puntland as proxies in the region is now in jeopardy. This seizure was a distraction tactic, meant to pull media and political attention away from SSC’s rise.”
Initial intelligence points to UAE operatives providing real-time satellite tracking of the Turkish vessel and encouraging Puntland’s leadership, specifically President Said Abdullahi Deni, to act swiftly before the cargo could reach Turkish forces near Mogadishu. According to the same source, both UAE advisors had been meeting with Puntland security officials in Bosaso in the days leading up to the seizure.
However, once it became evident that the shipment was part of a Turkish-led defense initiative and not a unilateral Somali military arms transfer, diplomatic cables reportedly circulated from Abu Dhabi distancing itself from Deni’s decision.
International Legal Fallout
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the UAE Ambassador to Ankara over the incident and is believed to have raised the matter with the United Nations Security Council. One Turkish official, speaking to Anadolu Agency, said: “Turkey’s mission in Somalia is transparent, legal, and aimed at enhancing stability. Any act that disrupts our operations will have consequences.”
An EU diplomat based in Nairobi commented: “This is no longer an internal Somali matter. The seizure of a sovereign cargo by a regional authority, especially when involving military logistics, falls squarely within the definition of piracy and hostile interference.”
A Waning Alliance and Shifting Geopolitical Winds
The incident also sheds light on a deteriorating alliance between the Puntland administration and its former patrons in the Gulf. According to diplomatic insiders, Emirati officials have refused to make public statements in support of President Deni, and recent communications suggest a freeze in financial transfers to PMPF units in Bosaso.
Compounding the intrigue, reports have surfaced that Israeli military advisors, previously rumored to be operating discreetly in Bosaso as part of radar intelligence collaboration, are now evacuating key personnel and relocating components of their Iron Dome surveillance system to undisclosed locations.
“This entire episode has exposed how vulnerable Puntland’s leadership has become,” said Dr. Adam Hersi, a Horn of Africa security analyst based in Nairobi. “When your backers leave you hanging, and the international community labels your action as piracy, you are no longer a player—you become a liability.”
While the Turkish vessel remains impounded at Bosaso port, Somali federal authorities have warned of legal and military responses if the equipment is not released unconditionally.
As the newly recognized SSC Federal Member State gains momentum and support from Mogadishu, regional power dynamics are rapidly evolving. Formerly entrenched interests in Puntland and Somaliland face the reality of diminished leverage over Somalia’s federal arrangement.
“The game has changed,” said a senior Somali diplomat. “Deni gambled and lost. The world is watching. This is not about arms, it’s about sovereignty, and no Somali regional administration has the right to hijack that.”
