Puntland Rejects Somali Defense Minister’s Claim Over Flights From Bosaso to Sudan

GAROWE, Somalia — The Puntland State of Somalia on Wednesday dismissed reports that aircraft departing from Bosaso Airport in northeastern Somalia have been transporting unspecified materials to Sudan, following remarks made by Somalia’s defense minister before the Upper House.

Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi on Tuesday appeared before the Senate to brief lawmakers on the country’s security situation. During the session, he acknowledged for the first time that flights from Bosaso Airport had been transporting “unspecified items” to Sudan.

“Yes, there are flights,” Fiqi told senators. “We acknowledge before the Somali people and before this chamber that planes departing from that area transport items to Chad, Niger, and western Sudan. What they carry, we do not know. That requires verification.”

His comments came amid growing speculation in local and Arab media over the past several weeks about flights between Somalia and Sudan, and potential links to the ongoing conflict in Sudan.

In October, The Guardian and Colombian outlet La Silla Vacía jointly reported that Colombian mercenaries destined for Sudan had been flown out of Bosaso, a major port city in Puntland.

Somali Senators questioned Fiqi about national security, counterterrorism efforts against al-Shabab, and the reported air movements between Somalia and Sudan.

The minister also addressed recent allegations that mercenaries were being transported from Somalia to foreign conflicts.

“Reports claim that Colombian mercenaries have been flown out, but we have no verified information to confirm that,” Fiqi said. “As Muslims, if we allow harm to reach our Muslim brothers for political or material gain, we lose something far greater — in this world and the hereafter.”

Puntland authorities, however, have denied any involvement in such flights, calling the reports “baseless” and politically motivated. The regional government said Bosaso Airport operates under Puntland’s full jurisdiction and that no unauthorized international flights are permitted.

Somalia’s federal and regional officials have pledged to investigate the matter amid increasing scrutiny over the country’s role in regional conflicts.

GAROWE ONLINE