Somalia: Hassan Sheikh claims the country has uranium, lithium, and cobalt

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud stated on Saturday, September 19, 2026, in Mogadishu that Somalia possesses significant mineral resources, including uranium, lithium, and cobalt. The announcement was made during the opening of the Somalia Development Finance Forum, which focuses on financing growth and attracting investment.

According to Dawan Africa, the head of state asserted that the presence of these minerals has been confirmed, although he did not provide details on the volume, specific locations, or timelines for extraction. The official report from the public agency SONNA also mentioned the mining sector among areas expected to receive strategic investments, but did not quantify the announced resources.

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud presented the exploitation of natural resources as one of the levers for transitioning from an import-dependent economy to one more focused on production and exports. He also highlighted agriculture, livestock, fishing, energy, and infrastructure as priority sectors under the National Vision 2060.

The statement extends a mining policy that has been in place for several months. In May, the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Dahir Shire Mohamed, indicated to Anadolu that the country was seeking to deepen its cooperation with Türkiye in the mining sector and mentioned uranium as one of the resources found in Somalia’s subsoil.

Somalia had already revived its ambitions in uranium by partnering with the local company Almond Energy, which was presented in 2025 as a strategic partner for exploration. This direction comes as Mogadishu aims to attract foreign capital into natural resources while strengthening its institutional and regulatory framework.

At this stage, the presidential announcement does not include a public estimate of commercially exploitable reserves of lithium or cobalt, nor does it identify a mining project for these two metals. The forum in Mogadishu primarily set the goal of attracting investments and developing national productive capacities.