Mogadishu, Somalia – The Federal Government of Somalia has taken an unusually hard stance against a surge in unauthorized mineral extraction, warning foreign companies and local brokers that it will no longer tolerate activities that undermine both the country’s sovereignty and its fragile security gains. The Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, increasingly alarmed by reports of covert mining in regions such as Puntland and Sanaag, issued a firm directive halting all unlicensed operations with immediate effect.
Officials say the warning comes after months of watching valuable minerals leave the country through informal channels, often routed through regional airports beyond federal oversight. These operations, long whispered about in local communities, are now viewed as a direct threat to national security. For the government, the concern is not just the loss of revenue but the fear that proceeds from these shadowy exports may be feeding illicit financial networks that destabilize the Horn of Africa.
At the heart of the issue is Somalia’s struggle to assert control over natural resources in a federal system where political authority is shared, disputed and, at times, exploited. While mineral-rich territories hold enormous economic promise, decades of weak regulation have allowed outside actors to carve out opportunities at the country’s expense. The current administration is attempting to reverse that trend by tightening oversight and insisting that all exploration and extraction fall under federal law.
Behind the tough message is a broader effort to transform what has long been an informal, opaque industry into a regulated sector capable of supporting national development. Somalia’s mineral potential—ranging from iron ore and bauxite to gemstones and possibly rare earth elements—has attracted global attention, but officials stress that only a lawful and transparent framework can ensure that these resources benefit the public rather than private interests.
The government acknowledges the difficulty of enforcing the new directive in areas where its authority remains limited and local powerbrokers wield considerable influence. Still, leaders insist that action is unavoidable. Illegal mining, they argue, is not merely an economic problem but a challenge to state-building itself. The latest warning signals a renewed determination to reclaim control, protect national assets and ensure that Somalia’s mineral wealth is managed in the interest of its people rather than those operating in the shadows.