UAE using Bosaso Airport to supply RSF, MEE reports

Bosaso Airport in Somalia’s Puntland State is increasingly reported to be a transit point for arms shipments to Sudan. An exclusive investigation by Middle East Eye alleges a covert operation moving military equipment from the United Arab Emirates to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), backed by flight data, satellite imagery, and a source within the Puntland Maritime Police Force. The report adds to mounting concerns over secret Emirati activity in Bosaso.

According to a senior PMPF commander who spoke to MEE on condition of anonymity, IL-76 cargo aircraft have routinely landed at Bosaso Airport over the past two years, unloading sealed containers under armed guard. These aircraft reportedly depart shortly thereafter, while the cargo is allegedly reloaded onto subsequent flights bound for Sudan through neighboring countries. Local security personnel are reportedly prohibited from inspecting the containers, which are said to be handled exclusively by trusted military officials.

A high-ranking official at Bosaso port has disclosed to MEE that the United Arab Emirates has routed more than 500,000 containers labeled as dangerous through the port over the last two years. These shipments differ from regular cargo, which typically includes clear documentation about where it comes from and where it’s going. Instead, the Emirati containers arrive with no details about what they hold. According to the port manager, the entire process is highly secretive and “once they reach the port, the containers are quickly moved to the airport and loaded onto waiting planes.”

Independent sources have documented frequent IL-76TD cargo flights between Bosaso and Eastern Libya in October 2025, indicating a sustained and structured air corridor rather than ad-hoc deliveries. Some flights are believed to be routed to Benghazi, where UAE-backed forces are active.

Sources in Bosaso also report the presence of Colombian mercenaries transiting to join RSF units in Sudan. Images obtained by MEE show foreign fighters disembarking in Bosaso before onward travel. A Colombian contractor interviewed by The Guardian previously confirmed he transited the airport en route to Sudan.

Somalia’s former foreign minister Abdisaid M. Ali has alleged that the federal government may have approved diplomatic clearances facilitating such flights, and called for cargo-manifest audits and verified inspections to establish accountability.

On may this year, the government of Sudan has lodged a formal protest with Mogadishu over reports of Bosaso’s involvement. Puntland, however, maintains autonomous control over aviation and security within its territory.

The allegations come as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) consolidate territorial gains in Sudan, including their recent capture of El Fasher in Darfur. Since taking control of the city, reports of atrocities and widespread targeted killings have continued to surface. Human rights organizations and U.S. lawmakers have called for additional sanctions, with the chair of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee urging that the RSF be designated as a terrorist organization. Somalia’s federal government and Puntland authorities have not issued any public response to the latest revelations.