Garoowe – The Puntland regional government has issued an official and forceful denial regarding recent allegations that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) installed an Israeli-made military radar system in the strategic coastal city of Bosaso, raising questions about foreign military activity in Somalia amid escalating Middle Eastern conflicts.
The statement, released by Puntland’s Minister of Information Maxamuud Caydheed Diriir, labeled the reports as “fabricated propaganda” designed to destabilize Puntland’s security and discredit its recent counter-terrorism gains.
Satellite images captured in early March reportedly revealed the installation of an ELM-2084 radar, a sophisticated 3D radar system manufactured by Israel, near Bosaso International Airport. The radar’s technical capabilities include detecting drones, missiles, and aircraft—raising eyebrows about its strategic military application.
International media outlets, including Middle East Eye, suggested that the radar could serve as a target acquisition system used by the UAE to monitor aerial threats and potentially facilitate airstrikes targeting Sudan’s RSF forces or Houthi positions in Yemen. Open-source flight tracking data further showed increased UAE military flights into Bosaso, which sources claimed were meant to supply arms and equipment to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Sudanese paramilitary group engaged in a brutal conflict with Sudan’s regular army since 2023.
In a strongly-worded press release, Minister Diriir dismissed the radar claims as a coordinated disinformation campaign orchestrated by countries such as Turkey and Qatar, along with what he described as “foreign-funded media masquerading as international news outlets.”
“These claims are nothing but desperate propaganda aimed at discrediting Puntland’s successes in fighting terrorism. Certain actors cannot accept the fact that Puntland has effectively dismantled terrorist networks where others have failed,” the Minister said. He accused the critics of being hostile to the stability Puntland has built, especially in the wake of successful operations against militant groups such as ISIS and Al-Shabaab in the Bari region.
The ELM-2084 is a multi-mission radar system developed by Israel Aerospace Industries’ subsidiary Elta Systems. It is best known for its role in the Iron Dome missile defense system and is capable of detecting and tracking multiple aerial threats simultaneously. Its installation in Bosaso—if confirmed—would significantly enhance early warning and air defense capabilities in the region.
Such technology being installed on Somali soil, particularly by a foreign military power, would be unprecedented and likely to provoke political and diplomatic backlash both domestically and across the Horn of Africa.
If true, the radar’s presence could signal a new phase of militarization in the Horn of Africa, a region already burdened by proxy conflicts, foreign military bases, and naval deployments in Djibouti, Eritrea, and Somalia.
Experts note that Bosaso’s proximity to both the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea makes it a strategically attractive location for surveillance and potential strike operations amid the ongoing wars in Sudan and Yemen.
There is growing concern that Puntland’s relatively autonomous government may be drawn into regional power struggles, especially given the UAE’s long-standing military presence and infrastructure investments in Bosaso and Berbera.
Despite Puntland’s denial, calls are growing for the Somali Federal Government, the African Union, and the United Nations to conduct an independent investigation into the radar installation and broader foreign military activities in northern Somalia.
Meanwhile, Puntland’s leadership has reiterated its commitment to transparency, accusing detractors of attempting to undermine its security achievements as part of broader geopolitical rivalry in the Horn.
