Somalia signs satellite cooperation deal with China at NewSpace Africa conference
Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia has entered into a cooperation agreement with China aimed at broadening the use of satellite technology in national development, a move that signals the country’s growing ambitions in the fields of space and data...
Tuesday April 21, 2026
Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia has entered into a cooperation agreement with China aimed at broadening the use of satellite technology in national development, a move that signals the country’s growing ambitions in the fields of space and data systems.
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The memorandum of understanding was signed at the NewSpace Africa Conference 2026 in Libreville by Somalia’s Department of Space and Satellite, which operates under the Ministry of Communications and Technology, and China’s Land Satellite Remote Sensing Application Center.
Somalia’s Director of Space and Satellite, Mohamed Abubakar Ismail, and the Chinese center’s Deputy Director General, Yu Dequan, endorsed the deal, which centers on using satellite imagery to support data-driven decision-making and innovation.
According to officials, the partnership is designed to strengthen technical cooperation, promote the exchange of expertise and widen the use of satellite-based tools in areas such as planning, environmental monitoring and infrastructure development.
The accord underscores Somalia’s deeper involvement in regional and global space initiatives as the government looks to science and technology to advance economic growth and sustainable development.
Although Somalia’s space sector is still in its infancy, officials say partnerships of this kind are vital to building local capacity and bringing advanced technologies into governance and public service delivery.