UAE accused of channeling hazardous shipments through bosaso port amid secret airlift to Libya

Bosaso, Somalia / Eastern Libya

A senior manager at Bosaso Port has revealed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has routed more than half a million containers marked as hazardous through the Somali port over the past two years, according to information obtained by Middle East Eye (MEE).

Unlike standard cargo shipments that include official documentation detailing their origin and destination, these containers reportedly arrive without content descriptions. The manager stated that upon arrival, the containers are swiftly transferred to Bosaso Airport, where they are loaded onto waiting cargo aircraft under tight security.

Sources in Bosaso told MEE that security procedures surrounding the shipments are unusually strict. When vessels carrying the Emirati cargo dock, Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) units are deployed to seal off the port and restrict filming or public access. Only essential personnel are allowed entry, and staff are explicitly warned not to record any aspect of the offloading or transfer process.

In October 2025, independent monitoring recorded approximately 68 suspicious cargo flights arriving in eastern Libya from the UAE and Bosaso Airport. The surge in flights coincides with multiple reports suggesting that the UAE has significantly increased its logistical and financial support to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in recent months.

Data compiled by the monitoring source shows that, since April 2023, at least 45 cargo flights originated directly from the UAE, while 23 flights departed from Bosaso. Satellite imagery of Kufrah Airport in southeastern Libya indicates a marked rise in air traffic during September and October 2025, with at least three Ilyushin IL-76TD cargo aircraft landing daily. Kufrah has reportedly become a critical supply hub for RSF operations in Sudan.

One particular aircraft, a Fly Sky Airlines IL-76TD (registration EX-76018), is confirmed to have operated all 23 flights between Bosaso and eastern Libya this month. Satellite and ground verification suggest that the aircraft frequently lists false origins—such as Berbera, Somaliland—to obscure its true route and cargo movements.

The revelations, if verified, point to a complex and clandestine logistics network connecting the UAE, Somalia’s Puntland region, and eastern Libya—potentially channeling hazardous or military-related material to conflict zones in violation of international regulations.

Neither Emirati authorities nor Puntland officials have issued formal statements addressing the reported shipments or flights.