Image Credits: Wasaaradda Dekadaha & Gaadiidka Badda JFS
\nSomalia has registered its first vessel under its national flag in more than 30 years, bringing back a system that had stopped functioning after the collapse of the central government in 1991.
\nThe vessel, named Guney (IMO 8230417), has been officially added to the Somali ship registry after completing all required legal and regulatory procedures. It is the first time in recent history that a ship has been formally recognised to sail under the Somali flag.
\nThe Ministry of Ports and Marine Transport said this step marks the reopening of the national ship registry, which had remained inactive for years. Without this system, vessels linked to Somalia could not be registered under its flag.
\nOfficials said the move is part of efforts to rebuild control over maritime activities and bring back proper systems for ship registration and regulation.
\nThe ministry added that procedures have now been put in place to ensure vessels meet required standards before being registered.
\nThe registration follows an agreement between the ministry and Somali Ship Register Limited, a private company that will manage the registry.
\nThe agreement was signed by Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur and the company\u2019s general manager, \u00c7a\u011fda\u015f Oykun Salta\u015f.
\nImage Credits: Wasaaradda Dekadaha & Gaadiidka Badda JFS
\nThe minister said the step shows Somalia is returning to international shipping and rebuilding the credibility of its flag. Authorities believe the registry will help improve how ships linked to Somalia are monitored and managed.
\nThe vessel itself is a 3,488 deadweight tonne general cargo ship built in 1979. Earlier in its service, it was known as Volgo-Balt 217 and operated as part of a Russian fleet in the Black Sea. It was most recently sailing under the flag of Honduras.
\nThe ship has now been renamed Guney and is currently located in Turkey. It is reported to have Turkish ownership.
\nSomalia\u2019s maritime sector had broken down along with state institutions in the early 1990s. For many years, the country\u2019s waters remained largely unregulated, which led to illegal fishing and piracy, especially during the late 2000s.
\nOfficials said restoring the ship registry will provide a legal framework for shipowners and businesses who want to operate under the Somali flag. It is also expected to support trade, generate revenue and create jobs linked to shipping.
\nThe ministry has encouraged shipowners and businesses to register their vessels in Somalia, saying it will help grow the country\u2019s marine economy and increase participation in international shipping.
\nSomalia has one of the longest coastlines in Africa, but its maritime sector has remained underdeveloped due to years of instability.
\nThe government now aims to strengthen maritime transport infrastructure and improve oversight of activities in its waters.
\nReferences: Wasaaradda Dekadaha & Gaadiidka Badda JFS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Image Credits: Wasaaradda Dekadaha & Gaadiidka Badda JFS Somalia has registered its first vessel under its national flag in more than 30 years, bringing back a system that had stopped functioning after the collapse of the central government in 1991. The vessel, named Guney (IMO\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":247,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.marineinsight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/guney-150x150.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"Somalia Registers First Ship Under National Flag In Over 30 Years, Revives Maritime Sector","footnotes":""},"categories":[9013],"tags":[9008,9045],"class_list":["post-50549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-shipping-news","tag-breaking-news","tag-marine-insight"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/maritimehub.co.uk\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/maritimehub.co.uk\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/maritimehub.co.uk\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maritimehub.co.uk\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/247"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maritimehub.co.uk\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=50549"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/maritimehub.co.uk\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50549\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50615,"href":"https:\/\/maritimehub.co.uk\/?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50549\/revisions\/50615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/maritimehub.co.uk\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=50549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maritimehub.co.uk\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=50549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/maritimehub.co.uk\/?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=50549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}