SEA WORLD Arms Ship Breaks Down Off Puntland, Triggers Tensions Over Arms Flow in Somalia

BOSASO, Somalia (GO) — A cargo ship named SEA WORLD, flagged under Comoros (IMO: 9324411), experienced mechanical failure off the coast of Bareeda, Puntland on July 18, 2025, while traveling from Dongguan, China. The vessel made a recorded stop at Port Sudan before turning back toward Puntland’s northern shores.

Before Puntland government forces reached the scene, parts of the ship’s cargo—reported to be weapons—were accessed by civilians in Bareeda and Caluula. The vessel is now docked at Bosaso Port, where the Puntland government is leading a formal investigation into the cargo’s origin, route, and destination.

According to Garowe Online, the weapons originated in Azerbaijan. Another independent source told Garowe Online that the ship picked up the cargo at the Turkish port of Izmir. Despite these claims, no Turkish port call appears in public maritime tracking data, but the presence of Turkish-labeled cargo has raised serious questions.

The vessel’s unexpected stop at Port Sudan—a country currently gripped by civil war—has drawn further scrutiny. “No one knows why the ship passed Port Sudan,” one official remarked, highlighting the opaque nature of the voyage.

Unconfirmed intelligence reports suggest the arms were destined for a special military unit linked to Villa Somalia, trained outside Mogadishu. The Turkish Embassy in Mogadishu has reportedly contacted the Puntland government seeking clarification about the vessel and its cargo. However, Puntland has not released an official statement.

A Puntland official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Garowe Online:

“Puntland saved the ship after its breakdown. Since the vessel was carrying weapons bound for Somalia, Puntland has a responsibility to know where the cargo was going and who was the beneficiary. We are part of Somalia, and we must be informed.”

The incident comes amid growing concern over arms leakage since the UN partially lifted Somalia’s arms embargo. Experts say the federal government lacks mechanisms for transparency and accountability, allowing shipments to reach unintended actors, including Al-Shabaab.

While Turkey has maintained a deep and visible footprint in Somalia—economically and militarily—its engagement is largely limited to Mogadishu. Analysts note that Turkey’s centralized political structure mirrors its diplomatic posture in Somalia: it deals almost exclusively with the Federal Government, bypassing federal member states such as Puntland and Jubaland.

“This approach undermines the federal governance system laid out in Somalia’s constitution,” one regional analyst explained. “There is no meaningful institutional relationship between Turkey and Somalia’s federal states.”

Since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Somalia in 2011, Turkey has invested heavily in Mogadishu, building one of the largest embassies in the world, creating the TURKSOM military training base, and securing contracts to manage Mogadishu Port and Aden Adde International Airport. Turkish companies are also involved in oil and gas exploration in southern and central Somalia—explicitly excluding Puntland and Jubaland.

Meanwhile, Puntland continues to wage independent counterterrorism operations against both ISIS and Al-Shabaab, particularly in the Cal-Miskaad mountains. Officials in Garowe have consistently complained about the lack of support from the Somali Federal Government, underscoring the disconnect between the center and the regions.

GAROWE ONLINE