Somalia has signed a new satellite technology cooperation agreement with China to achieve its national development goals and build its technological capacity. This Memorandum of Understanding, signed during the 2026 “NewSpace Africa” conference currently underway in Libreville, Gabon, is described as a move that transitions Somalia’s participation in the space science sector to a new chapter.
The agreement was made between the Department of Space and Satellite under Somalia’s Ministry of Communications and Technology and China’s Land Satellite Remote Sensing Application Center. The agreement was signed by Somalia’s Director of Space and Satellite, Mohamed Abubakar Ismail, and the Chinese representative, Yu Dequan.
This agreement primarily focuses on strengthening data-driven decision-making by utilizing satellite imagery. In particular, Somalia aims to widely use satellite data for the climate change impacts it currently faces, for increasing agricultural productivity, and for urban infrastructure planning.
As a country affected by recurring droughts and floods, Chinese satellite technology will provide significant assistance in measuring soil moisture, monitoring crop health, and generating early warning weather information. The satellite images will help the government control the country’s natural resource utilization and design strategies to prevent environmental degradation.
Additionally, it was noted during the signing that using Remote Sensing technology for large-scale infrastructure construction and urban plan preparation reduces costs and increases accuracy.
Somalia has been recording several successes in the technology sector in recent years. It is remembered that in 2025, the country opened its own Media Satellite Teleport for the first time in three decades. This has enabled the national television (SNTV) to broadcast information to the world in high definition (HD) and at a lower cost.
Furthermore, the commencement of operations by satellite internet providers like Starlink in the country is playing a major role in filling the digital divide, especially in rural and coastal areas. The artificial intelligence (AI) and digital governance agreements made with Saudi Arabia and Qatar are also parts of this modernization journey.
