Tuesday January 6, 2026
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia’s federal government and four regional state administrations have agreed to strengthen cooperation and jointly manage the country’s petroleum and mineral resources, signaling an effort to reduce political fragmentation over a sector seen as critical to future national revenue.
The agreement was announced Monday at the conclusion of a three-day conference in Mogadishu involving the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and its regional counterparts. Federal Petroleum Minister Dahir Shire Mohamed said the talks reaffirmed national unity, constitutional cooperation and collective decision-making in managing natural resources.
“We have once again agreed to reject division and take coordinated measures to ensure that petroleum and mineral resources are developed jointly,” Dahir said at a news conference, adding that all decisions would be guided by the shared interests of the Somali people.
Officials said the conference focused on strengthening coordination between the federal ministry and state-level petroleum authorities, including commitments to implement national laws, regulations and policies governing the sector while respecting the constitution.
The discussions also emphasized improving data protection and security related to natural resource activities, as well as building technical capacity through skills development and training for sector workers.
Participants agreed that all petroleum and mineral activities should be carried out in the public interest and with a sense of national responsibility. Officials described the outcome as a step toward rebuilding trust between levels of government and ensuring that Somalia’s natural wealth benefits citizens across the country.
Puntland and Jubbaland did not attend the meeting, as both states continue to boycott cooperation with the federal government over broader political disputes, underscoring persistent divisions over resource governance.
The conference comes days after Turkey’s energy minister, Alparslan Bayraktar, announced that Ankara plans to deploy a drilling vessel to Somalia in February as part of its first deepwater energy exploration project abroad.
Bayraktar said the operation would involve the Cagri Bey drilling ship and focus on offshore areas within Somalia’s territorial waters. He did not disclose details about potential reserves or the scale of investment.
Somalia has long viewed its offshore oil and gas potential as a key pillar of economic recovery, but progress has been slowed by insecurity, political disagreements between the federal government and regional states, and the absence of a fully settled resource-sharing framework.