Bosaso, (Idil News) – After a week of silence, Somalia’s federal government under President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has claimed ownership of the Sea World vessel, a freighter carrying heavy weaponry including armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and crates of arms, which was confiscated by Puntland Maritime Police Force (PMPF) on July 18.
The vessel, flagged under Comoros and reportedly en route from Izmir, Turkey, to Mogadishu, was intercepted off Bareeda in the Ras Aseir region amid allegations of illegal arms transport.
The Sea World, a 13,000 deadweight ton freighter built in 2005, has a notorious history of port state control deficiencies, ranging from fire safety and steering gear issues to documentation irregularities.
Flagged under Comoros—a Paris MOU “Black List” state sanctioned by the EU for its association with the Russian “shadow fleet”—the vessel’s ownership details were recently erased from Marine Traffic’s website, raising further suspicion.
Sea World is also noted for frequent crew abandonment cases, adding to concerns about the ship’s legitimacy. Puntland, which declared independence from the Somali federal government in March 2024 following a constitutional crisis, seized the vessel, asserting it violated international maritime law by entering its territorial waters without notification.
The PMPF reported the cargo included high-grade military equipment which ship was secured at Bosaso Port.
Puntland’s Ministry of Interior led by Abdi Farah Said, criticized HSM on X, warning that lifting the UN arms embargo and arming one side of Somalia’s conflicting parties is “dangerous and counterproductive,” calling for reconsideration and decentralized international aid.
On Wednesday, Puntland President Said Deni met with UN arms embargo monitors in Bosaso to discuss the seized weapons, which the monitors deem illegal. The day prior, Deni held talks with Interpol officials, summoning top prosecutors and judicial heads to decide the vessel’s fate.
The federal government, based in Villa Somalia, finally broke its silence, asserting the arms were legally intended for a Turkish-Somali training base in Mogadishu, though no evidence has been publicly presented to substantiate this claim.
Tensions between Mogadishu and Puntland have escalated since the 2024 constitutional rift, with Jubaland also boycotting federal authority. Clashes, including the Ras Kamboni defeat where Somali National Army (SNA) troops fled to the Kenyan border underscore the fragile state of national unity.
The delayed response from Villa Somalia has fueled speculation about the shipment’s purpose with some alleging the weapons might have been destined for clan militias or other non-state actors.
The controversy reignites debates over the 2023 UN arms embargo lift intended to bolster Somalia’s fight against Al-Shabaab but now criticized for enabling unregulated arms flows. As investigations continue, the Sea World remains docked in Bosaso, a potential flashpoint as ongoing power struggle.