Sudan Accuses Puntland of Enabling RSF Operations via Bosaso Airport

Sudan’s Foreign Ministry has formally protested to Mogadishu, alleging that Puntland authorities are permitting Bosaso International Airport to function as a secret conduit for Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In a verbal note dated 11 May, Khartoum demanded an immediate investigation, claiming that unlogged flights and clandestine troop movements through Bosaso have funnelled fighters, weaponry and even hired mercenaries into Sudan, in violation of Somalia’s international commitments.

Under the command of General Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo, the RSF broke out in open conflict with Sudan’s national army following the collapse of Khartoum’s 2020 power-sharing arrangement. What began as an internal power struggle has since become a drawn-out humanitarian and security crisis, with cross-border displacement and arms flows intensifying the regional fallout. Control of strategic transit points—especially Bosaso Airport, which handles medium-cargo aircraft on the Gulf of Aden—has therefore assumed critical importance.

Khartoum’s formal complaint accuses Puntland officials of either actively aiding or negligently overlooking these RSF supply operations. Adding to the gravity of the situation, investigations have uncovered that more than a hundred former Colombian soldiers—recruited by the Abu Dhabi-based Global Security Services Group (GSSG) on the pretext of service in the UAE—were instead routed through Benghazi and the Libyan desert before arriving in Darfur in late 2024. Embedded in small RSF detachments, these mercenaries have already suffered casualties when ambushed by Sudanese army units. Colombia has since appealed for assistance in repatriating its nationals, while UN observers have decried the influx of foreign fighters as a serious escalation of Sudan’s civil war.

To date, Mogadishu has issued no public response, though the Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) is reportedly reviewing Sudan’s evidence. Puntland’s government has likewise remained silent, with analysts expecting a joint federal–Puntland statement once inquiries conclude. If the allegations hold true, Somalia may be compelled to tighten flight authorizations at Bosaso, secure formal guarantees from Puntland’s leadership, and even invite African Union or UN monitors to audit air traffic and cargo manifests. Each of these measures carries significant political weight—both in Mogadishu’s relationship with Puntland and in Somalia’s standing among its neighbours.

Africa Security Analysis believes that in the coming days, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Foreign Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi will convene the cabinet to decide Somalia’s official reply. Their course of action will not only define Somalia–Sudan ties but also shape the wider security calculus in the Horn of Africa, where the exploitation of civilian infrastructure for foreign conflicts threatens to further destabilize the region.