A covert operation run by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) through Somalia’s coastal city of Bosaso has come to light, revealing how Emirati cargo planes, marked with hazardous materials, have been supplying arms and logistics to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The RSF has been accused of carrying out mass killings and genocide in Darfur.
According to flight tracking data, satellite images, and testimonies from Somali security officials, large UAE cargo planes, mainly IL-76 aircraft, have been landing frequently at Bosaso Airport since early 2023. Their undisclosed cargo is swiftly offloaded and reloaded onto other planes bound for Sudan, under the tight supervision of UAE military personnel and Colombian mercenaries stationed nearby.
“These flights are frequent and heavily guarded. Containers marked as hazardous are immediately moved to aircraft heading for Sudan,” said a Puntland Maritime Police Force officer, speaking anonymously.
Port officials in Bosaso confirmed that over 500,000 sealed Emirati containers have passed through the port in the last two years. None carried clear documentation of their contents, raising questions about the UAE’s role in Sudan’s ongoing war.
Satellite imagery also shows the expansion of fortified UAE military facilities near the Bosaso airstrip, complete with radar systems and a compound for Colombian fighters reportedly engaged in Sudan. Local sources said the camp serves as a medical evacuation hub for wounded RSF soldiers.
Human rights groups and international observers have accused the RSF of committing genocide in Darfur, particularly in El-Fasher, where civilians were massacred following the city’s recent capture.
Despite mounting evidence, the UAE has denied backing the RSF. The Somali government in Mogadishu, though aware of the Emirati operations, has remained silent, unable to counter Abu Dhabi’s expanding influence in Puntland.
Analysts warn that the UAE’s activities in Somalia risk dragging the Horn of Africa into a wider regional conflict. “Bosaso has become a shadow corridor for war,” said one regional expert. “What’s happening there is not just about Sudan, it’s about power, profit, and control over the Red Sea.”
As the world’s attention remains fixed on Gaza and other crises, a silent but deadly network continues to arm Sudan’s killers, with Somalia’s shores serving as the launchpad.
