Somalia has registered its first vessel under the national flag in more than 30 years, marking a significant step toward restoring maritime governance and sovereignty along one of Africa’s longest coastlines.
The vessel MV Guney was officially registered under the Somali flag following the completion of legal and regulatory procedures, according to the Ministry of Ports and Maritime Transport. It is the first Somali-flagged ship to depart Mogadishu under internationally recognized standards since the collapse of central government authority in 1991.
The milestone follows a memorandum of understanding signed between the ministry and Somali Ship Register Limited, a private entity tasked with supporting the re-establishment of the country’s ship registry. The agreement was signed by Ports and Maritime Transport Minister Abdulqadir Mohamed Nur and the company’s general manager Çağdaş Oykun Saltaş.
Officials described the registration as a key moment in rebuilding Somalia’s maritime sector, which collapsed alongside state institutions in the early 1990s. The absence of effective governance contributed to widespread piracy and illegal fishing across the western Indian Ocean, particularly during the late 2000s and early 2010s.
The reintroduction of a national flag registry is expected to strengthen regulatory oversight, improve maritime compliance, and support Somalia’s reintegration into international shipping frameworks.
