LONDON (Dispatches) -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is running a covert military base in Somalia’s Puntland State to channel weapons to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to a Middle East Eye (MEE) investigation. 
Sources told MEE that Emirati planes carrying heavily guarded cargo have been landing regularly at Bosaso Airport for the past two years. 
The shipments are immediately transferred to other aircraft bound for the RSF in Sudan through neighboring countries. 
A senior officer in the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) said the deliveries bypass their camp, noting that the cargo is “large and beyond their requirements.”
MEE monitored flight patterns for months and found consistent traffic between Bosaso and Sudan-linked routes. Recent reports indicate a sharp increase in weapons supplies to the RSF, including Chinese-made drones identified by U.S. intelligence.
At Bosaso Air Base, near the airport, the UAE has reportedly built a radar facility, ammunition depots, and a designated cargo area for transport aircraft. 
Satellite imagery analyzed by MEE shows rapid construction at the site between January 2024 and January 2025, including what appears to be a French-made GM-403 radar operated by Emirati forces. Other reports suggest the presence of an Israeli radar system as well.
Security at Bosaso is described as extremely tight. “During loading and offloading, they are heavily guarded, as they carry sensitive materials,” a PMPF source told MEE. 
A senior port official said the UAE has moved more than 500,000 containers marked as hazardous through Bosaso in the past two years. PMPF personnel reportedly seal off the area during offloading to prevent any filming or unauthorized access.
The PMPF, an Emirati-funded regional force established to combat piracy, was initially managed by the Abu Dhabi–based company Sterling Corporate Services. The UN has accused Sterling of violating Somalia’s arms embargo and of running a brutal training program linked to the deaths of Somali recruits.
MEE also reports that the UAE, in coordination with Israel, has expanded a network of military and intelligence outposts across islands near Yemen. Satellite images published by the Associated Press in October show a new Emirati airstrip under construction on Zuqar Island.
The revelations come days after the RSF captured El-Fasher, the last Sudanese army stronghold in North Darfur, following a 500-day siege. Rights groups say RSF fighters massacred hundreds of civilians, including more than 450 people at the city’s main hospital. Despite mounting evidence, the UAE continues to deny supplying arms to the RSF.