Exclusive: Inside the UAE's secret Sudan war operation at Somalia's Bosaso

[Passages]

Colombian mercenaries, regular transport flights and cargo marked 'hazardous' reveals a vast covert operation fuelling the RSF massacres in el-Fasher

By Bashir Mohamed Caato
Published date: 31 October 2025

Last update: 3 weeks 2 days ago

At Bosaso Airport in Somalia’s Puntland state, the thunderous sound of large aircraft hitting the tarmac echoes out across the port city.

Minutes after landing, the aircraft can be identified. It is a white IL-76 heavy cargo transport plane, and it is parking next to a very similar aircraft.

SNIP*
“They’re frequent and the logistics are transferred immediately to another aircraft that is on standby and is destined for the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan through the neighbouring countries,” said Abdullahi, a senior Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) commander at Bosaso Airport, who spoke to Middle East Eye using a different name for security reasons.

According to flight tracking data, satellite imagery, multiple local sources, and US and regional diplomats, the origin of these planes and their cargo is clear: the United Arab Emirates.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/inside-uae-secret-operation-somalia-sudan-bosaso