By Horn Africa News
Bosaso — A delegation of Turkish diplomats and military officials has arrived in Bosaso, the capital of Bari region in Puntland, to hold high-level talks with Puntland authorities regarding a ship loaded with weapons and military vehicles that was recently seized off the coast of the region.
The vessel, named Sea World, was intercepted near the coastal town of Bareeda in Ras Caseyr after departing from the port of Izmir in Turkey. Its declared destination was Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.
The Turkish delegation is expected to meet with Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni to address the controversy surrounding the cargo on board the ship and to clarify the ownership of the weapons and vehicles.
The ship, flying the Comoros flag, was seized on July 18 near an area where Puntland forces have been engaged in a nine-month-long military campaign against ISIS militants.
Puntland officials claim that businessmen from Mogadishu and the Turkish ambassador to Somalia have both asserted ownership of the cargo, raising questions about the legality of the shipment and its intended recipients.
While the Federal Government of Somalia has stated that the arms were en route to Turkey’s military training base, Turkeysom, in Mogadishu, it has yet to provide official documentation confirming this claim. The Turkish Embassy in Somalia has also not officially confirmed or denied the ownership of the military cargo.
Puntland has previously expressed concern over the illegal entry of weapons into the country, especially amid ongoing political tensions between Puntland’s regional government in Garowe and the central government in Mogadishu.
Meanwhile, Puntland authorities have been warned that if they do not release the ship, the Puntland will be considered to have committed an act of piracy, which will have dire consequences for its leadership.
