Monday 4, August 2025 {HMC} A high-level delegation of Turkish diplomats and military officials arrived in Bosaso this week for talks with Puntland authorities over a seized cargo vessel carrying Turkish-made military equipment, intensifying a constitutional showdown between Somalia’s federal government and the semi-autonomous regional state.

The vessel, Sea World, flying the Comoros flag, was intercepted on July 18 by Puntland’s Maritime Police Force (PMPF) near the coastal town of Bareda in the Gardafuu region. The ship, which had reportedly departed from the Turkish port of Izmir and was headed to Mogadishu, was found to be carrying armoured vehicles, mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles (MRAPs), and anti-aircraft guns—many bearing Turkish military markings.

Puntland officials stated the vessel had loitered for two days in Puntland-administered waters near a region where security forces have been conducting operations against ISIS-affiliated militants. The regional government cited national security concerns and invoked the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to justify its interception and inspection of the vessel.
“The Puntland government has the legal right to inspect and take action against vessels in its waters,” the Ministry of Information said in a July 21 statement. “This vessel’s unauthorized presence and the nature of its cargo are violations of both international maritime law and Somalia’s national security protocols.”

The federal government in Mogadishu responded forcefully, accusing Puntland of hijacking a lawful shipment authorized under a bilateral defence agreement with Türkiye. In a July 23 statement, the government said the ship was bound for the TÜRKSOM Military Training Centre in Mogadishu and included additional commercial goods belonging to Somali traders.

“The hijacking of this vessel is not only a grave violation of Somalia’s Provisional Constitution but also an attack on the country’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity,” the statement read, citing Article 54 of the constitution, which grants the federal government exclusive authority over national defence and maritime security.

Federal officials warned Puntland against conducting unilateral maritime operations, stating that such actions undermine national cohesion and could jeopardize Somalia’s security partnerships with foreign allies.

Puntland, however, has disputed both the nature of the cargo and the federal government’s legal standing. In a July 24 statement, Puntland said there were no commercial goods aboard the Sea World, and the entire cargo consisted of military hardware of unclear ownership. The government also confirmed that a group of local fishermen boarded the vessel before the PMPF arrived, prompting concerns that some weapons may have been looted.

“The Puntland Government continues its investigation into the vessel and the rightful ownership of its cargo to ensure that the military equipment does not fall into the hands that might threaten Somalia’s security and stability,” a spokesperson said in a July 25 release.

Photographs circulated online appear to have shown civilians handling firearms believed to have been removed from the ship.

Turkey, which operates the TÜRKSOM military base in Mogadishu and has played a major role in training Somali National Army (SNA) personnel since 2017, has not publicly confirmed or denied its involvement with the shipment. However, according to former Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, the Turkish ambassador in Mogadishu conveyed that the cargo was legally destined for the SNA.

“In a meeting with the Turkish ambassador today, I was informed that the MV Sea World vessel was carrying military equipment for TURKSOM,” Sharmarke wrote in a social media post on July 24. “The Ambassador stated that he reached out to Puntland but to no avail. In this view, Puntland has legal obligations to release the ship without delay.”

Sharmarke warned that failure to resolve the issue could strain Somalia’s relationship with Turkey and undermine military rebuilding efforts supported by foreign allies.

The seizure comes more than a year and a half after the United Nations lifted its decades-long arms embargo on the Somali government in December 2023. While the federal government hailed the decision as a step toward sovereignty and self-reliance, regional states, including Puntland and Somaliland, expressed concern that Somalia lacked the institutional safeguards to regulate weapons imports. In remarks earlier this month, Somaliland Foreign Minister Abdirahman Dahir Adan reportedly linked the Sea World seizure to more general concerns about post-embargo arms proliferation, suggesting the UN’s 2023 decision had contributed to increased regional security risks and illicit weapons flows.

Tensions between Puntland and the federal government have deteriorated rapidly since May 2024, when Garowe announced it would suspend cooperation with federal security deployments unless prior consultation was guaranteed. The Sea World standoff has become the most visible manifestation of this rift, with both sides accusing each other of constitutional overreach and undermining national cohesion.

The ship remains docked at the Port of Bosaso.

Source Hiiraan Onnline

Monday 4, August 2025 {HMC} malized in a ministerial decree issued August 3 by Minister of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation Ali Yusuf Ali Hosh, directs the committee to ensure that all nominated assembly members meet the legal, procedural, and community standards required for regional lawmakers.

“This is a vital step toward ensuring that governance at the regional level is representative, lawful, and capable of contributing effectively to Somalia’s federal framework,” Hosh said in the statement.
The committee members are:

Abdinasir Ahmed Qaybdid, Chairperson
Abdirizak Farah Warsame, Deputy Chairperson
Abdulqadir Ibrahim Issa, Secretary
Ismail Sheikh Salah Ahmed, Member
Mahdi Said Hassan, Member
Sugule Abdi Hasbade, Member
Abdirahman Ahmed Haji Diriye, Member

The directive cites Article 99 of Somalia’s Provisional Constitution as the legal foundation for the appointment. The article empowers the Council of Ministers and relevant ministries to implement national policy, including the formation of federal institutions and the advancement of reconciliation efforts.
The vetting initiative comes on the heels of efforts to formalize the Northeastern State’s political and administrative structures.

The federal government stressed that the vetting process will be impartial and transparent, with regional stakeholders, community elders, and international observers participating in the monitoring proceedings. However, the appointment has sparked immediate backlash from presidential candidates contesting the upcoming Northeastern State election. In a joint statement issued Sunday, the candidates rejected the committee’s legitimacy, accusing the federal government, specifically Minister Hosh, of interfering in the regional electoral process by supporting a favoured faction.

They warned that proceeding with an electoral process lacking consensus could deepen social divisions, undermine credibility, and derail hopes for an inclusive administration.

The committee is expected to begin work immediately, with a mandate to verify procedural compliance, mediate local disputes through dialogue, and ensure inclusive representation. According to the directive, regional elders, civil society groups, and international observers will be involved in monitoring the process to safeguard transparency and neutrality.

Monday 4, August 2025 {HMC} At least 68 African refugees and migrants have died and 74 others remain missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Yemen, according to the United Nations migration agency.

Abdusattor Esoev, head of the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Yemen, told The Associated Press news agency on Sunday that the boat, with 154 Ethiopians aboard, capsized off Yemen’s province of Abyan.

Twelve people survived the shipwreck, he said, adding that the bodies of 54 refugees and migrants washed ashore in the district of Khanfar and 14 others were found dead at a different location and taken to a hospital morgue.

Yemeni health authorities earlier said that 54 people had died.

Abdul Qader Bajamil, director of the health office in Zanzibar, said that authorities were making arrangements to bury the victims near the city of Shaqra, while search opportunities continued amid difficult conditions.

The waterways between Yemen and the Horn of Africa are a common but perilous route for refugees and migrants travelling in both directions. The area saw a spike in Yemenis fleeing the country after the civil war broke out in 2014.

Houthi rebels and government forces reached a truce deal in April 2022 that has resulted in a decrease in violence and the slight easing of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Meanwhile, some of those fleeing conflict in Africa, particularly in Somalia and Ethiopia, have sought refuge in Yemen or have sought to travel through the country to the more prosperous Gulf countries. The route remains one of the “busiest and most perilous” migration routes in the world, according to the IOM.

To reach Yemen, people are taken by smugglers on often dangerous, overcrowded boats across the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aden.

According to the IOM, more than 60,000 refugees and migrants arrived in Yemen in 2024, marking a significant drop from the previous year’s total of 97,200.

The decreased numbers come amid increased patrols of the waters, according to an IOM report released in May.

This is a deadly route that has killed hundreds over the past two years. According to the IOM, 558 people died along the route last year.

Over the past decade, at least 2,082 people have disappeared along the route, including 693 known to have drowned, according to the IOM. Yemen currently houses around 380,000 refugees and migrants.

Monday 4, August 2025 {HMC} U.S. forces conducted airstrikes near the town of Bariire in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region on August 1, targeting Al-Shabaab fighters in support of a Somali-led military operation, according to a statement from U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).

The operation was carried out “in support of a military operation led by the Federal Government of Somalia,” AFRICOM said in its release Friday. The command noted that the strikes occurred “in the vicinity of Bariire” and were intended to support Somali forces as they confront the al-Qaeda-linked group.

“AFRICOM, alongside the Federal Government of Somalia and Somali Armed Forces, continues to take action to degrade al-Shabaab’s ability to plan and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our forces, and our citizens abroad,” the statement added.

AFRICOM did not disclose information about the specific units involved or the assets used in the operation, citing operational security concerns. No details were provided about casualties or damage resulting from the strike.

The airstrike follows renewed clashes in Lower Shabelle, where Al-Shabaab claimed to have killed 20 Ugandan soldiers serving under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and to have destroyed several military vehicles. Those claims could not be independently verified.

Monday 4, August 2025 {HMC} The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), serving under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), in collaboration with the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF), have killed over 50 Al-Shabaab militants, including senior commanders, during a military operation in the Lower Shabelle region.

The offensive began on the morning of Friday, 1 August 2025, targeting Bariire — a key town located approximately 50 kilometres southwest of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

According to a statement from AUSSOM, the senior Al-Shabaab commanders killed in the operation were Mohammed Abdallah, an anti-tank specialist; Sadam Ibrahim, an improvised explosive device (IED) expert; and Abas, an infantry commander.
AUSSOM also refuted media reports alleging heavy casualties among its soldiers during the Bariire operation.

The offensive remains ongoing, with UPDF and SNAF troops continuing efforts to eliminate remaining fighters and secure full control of the area.

“The joint military operation has resulted in substantial losses for the terrorist group, with over 50 Al-Shabaab militants killed and many others sustaining serious injuries,” AUSSOM stated.

This operation marks the second phase of *Operation Silent Storm*, a broader military campaign aimed at liberating the towns of Sabiid, Anole, Bariire, and Awdheegle. Joint forces have already recaptured Sabiid and Anole.

Al-Shabaab has sustained significant losses in the Lower Shabelle region in recent weeks, with nearly 100 militants killed in separate operations over the past month.

Source Hiiraan onnline

Monday 4, August 2025 {HMC} The Banadir Regional Court has issued an arrest warrant for Ramadaan Caydaruus Cali after the Office of the Attorney General filed criminal charges against him, alleging involvement in terrorism financing and money laundering.

According to a statement released on Sunday, prosecutors presented preliminary evidence suggesting that the suspect funneled large sums of money through his bank account to support terrorist activities aimed at undermining national security.

“After reviewing the initial report, the court ordered the suspect to be held in temporary custody pending the completion of the ongoing investigation,” the statement read.
Neither the court nor the Attorney General’s Office disclosed further details regarding the amount of money transferred, the dates of the transactions, the destinations, or the recipients.

Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) has recently intensified efforts to dismantle al-Shabaab’s financial networks. In recent months, the agency has shut down nearly 20,000 online accounts and hundreds of bank and mobile money accounts linked to the group, based on intelligence about illegal financial transfers.

The Attorney General’s Office reaffirmed its strong commitment to combating terrorism financing and money laundering, warning that anyone involved in such activities will be held fully accountable under the law.

Source Hiiraan onnline