By Horn Africa News
Puntland’s maritime security forces have intercepted a cargo vessel carrying a large cache of heavy weaponry and military vehicles off the coast of Somalia’s Bari region, igniting political controversy and intensifying concerns over regional and international arms trafficking.
According to the Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF), the ship—laden with armored combat vehicles, heavy weapons, and sophisticated military equipment—was intercepted near Bareeda, in the Ras Caseyr area.
Independent sources confirmed to Horn Africa News (HAN) that the vessel is Turkish-owned and was en route to Mogadishu, the Somali capital. The shipment, which includes modern arms not previously seen in the Horn of Africa, has sparked alarm among regional analysts.
Puntland authorities stated that all the seized weaponry bore Turkish markings. The entire cargo is now under investigation and secured by Puntland’s maritime defense unit.
The Federal Government of Somalia has yet to issue an official response, even as the incident unfolds during a period of heightened tension between Mogadishu and the Puntland administration. Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni has repeatedly criticized the central government’s recent decisions, particularly following the UN’s decision to lift Somalia’s decades-old arms embargo.
Observers warn that the arms seizure could have far-reaching consequences for Somalia’s fragile political landscape. Legal and diplomatic questions are emerging over how such a heavily armed shipment reached Somali waters without official coordination or escort.
“This incident poses a serious threat to Somalia’s fragile state-building process,” one political analyst commented. “When a federal member state intercepts a foreign arms shipment possibly destined for the national government, it exposes the deep fractures within Somalia’s governance.”
On the other hand, security analysts assert that the ship’s hijacking is clearly part of a broader pattern of foreign interference, with intelligence in this case reportedly shared with the Puntland administration—currently locked in political rivalry and tension with the Federal Government.
The fate of the intercepted weapons, and the responses from both the Federal Government and Turkey, could shape the next phase of Somalia’s security and political trajectory. As investigations continue, all eyes are on Mogadishu’s next move in what Puntland officials are calling a “national security breach.”
