A Qatari Emiri Air Force C-17A aircraft landed at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital on Monday amid growing security cooperation between Mogadishu, Doha, and Ankara.
Flight data and local reports indicated that the aircraft made stops at military facilities in Kayseri and the Turkish capital, Ankara, before departing for Somalia.
The arrival of the military aircraft comes after a tripartite agreement was reached between Mogadishu, Doha, and Ankara to build up military logistics in the Horn of Africa as regional tensions reshape long-standing alliances.
At least for the last two years, Somalia has cooled its diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while leaning more heavily on Turkish and Qatari support for institutional and military capacity building.
The regional landscape has grown increasingly complex following Israel’s recent unilateral recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland-a move that prompted Mogadishu to bolster its defensive posture. In response, Turkey has significantly expanded its military footprint in the Horn Africa nation.
Turkish officials recently announced plans to establish a space launch facility on Somali soil. Additionally, Turkey has deployed naval assets to protect a Turkish vessel currently conducting seismic oil exploration off the Somali coast, acting under a bilateral defense and economic agreement.
The presence of the Qatari C-17, one of the world’s most capable long-range cargo jets, underscores the logistical scale of the military support currently flowing into the country as Somalia seeks to assert its sovereignty over its land and territorial waters.
MG/abj/APA