Somalia’s cabinet has approved joining the International Mobile Satellite Organization, a move that will allow the country to benefit from satellite services and research. The decision coincides with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s announcement that Turkey is building a satellite station in Somalia, as the country prepares to become the first in Africa to launch satellites from its own soil.
A $6-billion space partnership with Türkiye is underway, including construction of a spaceport along the Indian Ocean coast, with the first launch expected in late 2025.“
Having a satellite launched from Somalia into space is a monumental achievement that represents more than a few billion dollars,” President Mohamud said, describing the project as a milestone in Somalia’s recovery.
The partnership marks one of the largest foreign investments in Somalia’s history and signals a strategic shift aimed at boosting economic and scientific development in a nation still rebuilding after decades of civil war.
