Garowe, (Idil News) — Regional tensions tied to Sudan’s ongoing conflict are spilling into Horn of Africa, where rival Middle Eastern powers are accused of backing competing factions and fuelling an online propaganda campaign targeting Puntland, officials and analysts say.
According to Denmark-based journalist Jibril Qoobey, the rivalries among Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey — who have taken opposing sides in Sudan’s war — are influencing political narratives inside Somalia.
Egypt, Qatar and Turkey are supporting Sudan’s national army, while the UAE is backing the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to regional analysts. These alignments, observers say, are now reflected in competing media and political efforts in Somalia.
Qatar and Turkey are funding online campaigns against Puntland while bolstering political factions aligned with its leader Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and former intelligence chief Fahad Yasin, who accused of destabilizing opponents.
“The campaign is motivated by two main factors: their fear of Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni’s potential candidacy for Somalia’s presidency, and anger over the UAE’s growing influence in Puntland, including investment projects that created about 5,000 jobs,” per Qoobey.
He urged the Puntland administration should to establish a dedicated media monitoring and fact-checking team to counter disinformation. “Silence is not enough,” he added.
Puntland officials have not commented publicly on the allegations.
Somalia has long been a proxy ground for rival Gulf and regional powers, whose political and economic interests stretch across the Horn of Africa.
Rival Foreign Powers Accused of Fueling Propaganda War Targeting Puntland
By 𝕯𝖗. 𝐗𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐆