Sudan accuses UAE of using Puntland as arms pipeline for RSF fighters
According to Sudanese officials, Colombian mercenaries and Turkish-made rifles have made their way into the ranks of the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group accused of atrocities in Sudan's civil war.
Sudan has formally complained to Somalia's federal government, alleging that weapons and foreign mercenaries are being funnelled into its conflict through Puntland, with the tacit involvement of the United Arab Emirates.
Khartoum's intelligence chief delivered a letter from Sudan's de facto ruler to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, urging Mogadishu to dismantle what it described as a UAE-backed smuggling network operating out of Bosaso port and airport.
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According to Sudanese officials, Colombian mercenaries and Turkish-made rifles have made their way into the ranks of the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group accused of atrocities in Sudan's civil war.
The Somali government has little sway over Puntland, whose ports and airports are run independently and often beyond Mogadishu's oversight.
That leaves Somalia in a diplomatic bind: eager to uphold the sovereignty of a fellow African Union member, but unable to enforce meaningful controls on the ground.
The UAE, meanwhile, has scrambled to contain the fallout.
Two high-level delegations visited Mogadishu in recent weeks, reportedly to reassure Somali leaders and to discourage them from siding openly with Sudan.
Analysts say Mogadishu faces a delicate balancing act. Some within the administration are pressing to publicly denounce what they call a violation of Somalia's sovereignty—using its territory to funnel arms into a foreign war.
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