The Puntland regional government has remained tight-lipped in response to allegations that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has installed an Israeli-made radar system in the port city of Bosaso.
According to Middle East Eye, when contacted for comment, Puntland’s State Minister for the Presidency, Abdifatah Abdinur, deflected the inquiry by sending political cartoons mocking Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, instead of addressing the issue.
Sources within Somalia revealed that Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni reportedly did not obtain approval from either the Federal Government of Somalia or Puntland’s own parliament for the radar installation.
“This was a secretive deal. Even senior members of the Puntland administration, including cabinet ministers, were unaware,” said one source closely following the matter.
There have also been reports that Colombian soldiers were brought into Bosaso airport to be airlifted to Sudan. It remains unclear who issued their visas, as Somalia’s Federal Government was not involved in the operation.
A satellite image taken on March 5th appears to show a military aircraft stationed at Bosaso airport—further fueling suspicions about undisclosed military activity.
The UAE has maintained deep ties with Somalia since 2009, particularly with Puntland, where it has supported anti-piracy forces through training and logistics. President Deni is widely seen as an ally of the Emirates, reportedly benefiting from financial backing.
Insiders suggest that Deni’s alignment with the UAE may be part of a broader strategy to gain support for a presidential bid in Somalia’s 2026 elections.
Salim Said Salim, a regional analyst and Executive Director of the SIDRA Institute in Puntland, said the Deni administration’s silence only lends credibility to the radar installation claims.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government is believed to be deliberately avoiding direct confrontation with the UAE, given its reliance on Emirati military and financial support in the fight against Al-Shabaab.
In a separate development, Somalia’s Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi recently disclosed that his ministry had sent a formal letter to the UAE, urging them to stop granting presidential protocol treatment to Somaliland’s President, Abdirahman Cirro, as if he were a head of state.
