We should wait and see what happens. Neither government has made public statements or comments about what the actual deal entails. I haven't seen any online news sites, other than Nordic Monitor, address the supposed government document. There should be a greater push for transparency. Something so opaque shouldn't be discussed like it's legitimate.
But if you ask me , with the FGS and also all the regional states in general . I believe they would benefit more from mining if they focused on that first to build revenue streams. Like, create a state owned company that works with private local ones and takes a big chunk of the profit. Plus, the local ones would pay taxes. They could potentially generate large amounts of revenue in less time, with less outside investment, compared to gas or oil.
A few local companies are already trying to get permits and licenses to start:
sahanmining.com
adcosomalia.com
There is even a gold mining company recently set up:
View attachment 363549
View attachment 363550
there is wealth where minerals are in, and that wealth is abundance below the surface of my country Somalia dig below the surface and extract the wealth #Sahan gold corp, join us
www.linkedin.com
Think about it deeply. Oil and gas requires:
Huge capital, high security, offshore logistics, decades-long timelines.
Whereas mining is:
Cheaper to start, faster to produce, less geopolitically entangled, and often more accessible to local companies.
And also unlike oil , mining doesn't require FPSOs, deepwater rigs, or naval security infrastructure.
To put it in perspective how lucrative mining can be:
Australia’s mining industry generated $445 billion in 2023. Israel pulled in $43.6 billion last year.
Somalia has gold, tin, silver, uranium, bauxite, and rare earths , all of which could be tapped through domestic partnerships with far less risk.
Somalis should start with sectors where local control is possible and timelines are shorter.
Think about the broader picture: what if the FGS created a state mining company that worked with Somali private firms?
No need for massive foreign military protection.
No 90% cost recovery clauses.
No arbitration in Istanbul.
Just Somali led industry.