Somalia Joins Global Satellite Network to Strengthen Maritime Safety

GOOBJOOG NEWS | LONDON: Somalia has formally joined the International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO), a move expected to strengthen maritime safety, surveillance and emergency response across the country’s vast coastline.

Ports and Marine Transport Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur deposited Somalia’s instrument of accession during talks in London with Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), on the sidelines of the IMO Assembly’s 34th session.

Somalia’s accession grants the country access to international satellite-based communication systems used for ship tracking, distress alerts, and search-and-rescue coordination — capabilities the government says are vital to securing its maritime domain.

Senior Somali officials, including Mogadishu Port General Manager Ambassador Mohamed Ali Nur (Americo) and Somalia’s Ambassador to the UK Abdulkadir Abdi Hashi, attended the meeting.

Discussions focused on modernizing maritime institutions, strengthening legal oversight of Somali waters, and using IMSO frameworks to safeguard marine resources.

The step forms part of a broader national effort to rebuild Somalia’s maritime capacity, enhance security along key shipping routes, and support the country’s long-term ambitions for a stronger blue economy.