The United States is preparing to expand its military presence in Somalia’s Puntland region, with plans to develop a new facility at Bosaso airport, according to Puntland authorities and a report by Drop Site.
A US delegation led by Major General Claude Tudor, Commander of Special Operations at US Africa Command (AFRICOM), met Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni in Bosaso on 2 August.
The talks focused on strengthening efforts against militant groups, maritime security, and improving security in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Puntland’s presidency announced a new agreement under which the US would expand its military facility in Bosaso to support counter-terrorism operations and maritime security.
However, a report by Drop Site, citing five Puntland security officials, said the official announcement did not fully convey the significance of the agreement.
According to the officials, the US did not previously have a formal military base in Bosaso. Instead, AFRICOM personnel operated from an office in the city, which was used for intelligence gathering and coordination between Puntland forces and AFRICOM’s headquarters in Djibouti.
Under the new plan, a military facility would be built at Bosaso airport if the agreement is implemented. The facility could allow US air operations to be conducted directly from Bosaso, rather than relying on air support coordinated from Djibouti.
The report also said much of the agreement had been prepared during a closed-door meeting between President Deni and AFRICOM officials in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 27 July, almost a week before the agreement was publicly announced.
Puntland security sources told Drop Site that the Addis Ababa meeting was where the agreement on the US facility was prepared.
Officials from Somalia’s federal government, meanwhile, declined to provide details about the US plans, according to the report.
The reported expansion comes as the US and Puntland seek to strengthen cooperation against militant groups and address maritime security concerns in a strategically important part of the Horn of Africa, near the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
