Bosaso (Caasimada Online) – Puntland is preparing to release a vessel carrying Turkish military equipment bound for the Somali National Army, following high-level diplomatic intervention by the United Arab Emirates on Turkey’s behalf, government sources have told Caasimada Online.
The incident, which began with the seizure of the MV Sea World on July 18, has tested the delicate web of alliances in the Horn of Africa and highlighted the evolving power dynamics between regional heavyweights Turkey and the UAE.
According to Puntland government sources who spoke to Caasimada Online, the planned release comes after direct pressure from the UAE Embassy in Mogadishu. The embassy reportedly stepped in after Ankara issued a stern protest, viewing the seizure of its military aid by Puntland—a semi-autonomous Somali state—as a serious affront.
Diplomatic insiders say Turkey, frustrated by Puntland’s initial silence, turned to its recently mended ties with the UAE to help break the impasse. Ankara allegedly warned it would take necessary steps to recover the cargo if Puntland failed to comply.
The shipment was intended for the Turk-Som military training base in Mogadishu—an anchor of Turkey’s broad security and development engagement in Somalia. The base plays a central role in training and equipping Somali National Army forces in their prolonged fight against the Al-Shabaab insurgency.
This episode marks a striking example of shifting regional alignments. Once at odds in proxy conflicts like Libya, Turkey and the UAE have since repaired relations, sealed by high-level visits and billions in new cooperation agreements.
That Ankara could lean on Abu Dhabi to pressure Puntland’s President Said Abdullahi Deni—a close UAE ally—shows just how far that reconciliation has come.
Puntland, for its part, acknowledged Ankara’s outreach. In a press statement issued on July 23, authorities said the Turkish ambassador had confirmed the shipment “belonged to the Turkish government,” prompting Puntland to detain the vessel in Bosaso port for inspection.
In the same release, the government in Garowe sought to calm tensions, stating: “The Puntland Government thanks the Turkish people and Government for their fraternal relations and support to the Somali people.”
Deep-rooted political tensions
This maritime incident unfolds amid an already tense political standoff between Puntland and Somalia’s Federal Government in Mogadishu.
In April, Puntland declared it would no longer recognize the federal government and would act independently—a response to constitutional amendments it says unfairly centralize power and erode Somalia’s federal system.
That political rupture likely forms the backdrop of the seizure, with Puntland possibly using the Turkish cargo as leverage in its broader standoff with Mogadishu.
The situation has also sparked questions about the UAE’s role. Given its close ties to both Puntland and the Federal Government, observers wonder why Abu Dhabi didn’t step in sooner to mediate the deeper political rift.
The UAE maintains a firm foothold in Puntland, including a military facility at the port of Bosaso, strategically located along the Gulf of Aden—one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors.
The port’s significance has drawn international scrutiny. According to diplomats and regional analysts, UAE facilities in the area may serve broader foreign policy aims, including alleged arms transfers to regional allies.
Among those allegations is the reported supply of weapons to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—claims echoed in findings by the UN Panel of Experts on Sudan.
While the resolution of the MV Sea World standoff has averted a direct crisis between Turkey and Puntland, it lays bare the fragile foundations of Somalia’s federal experiment—and the immense sway foreign powers like Turkey and the UAE continue to hold in shaping its future.