- Somalia launched the Somalia Computer Incident Response Team (SOMCIRT) to coordinate the prevention, detection and response to cybersecurity incidents.
- The initiative follows the Cybersecurity Law approved by parliament in January 2026, which mandates the creation of the response center.
- Somalia continues to expand its cyber regulatory framework and international cooperation while ranking Tier 4 out of 5 in the 2024 Global Cybersecurity Index.
The Somali government launched the Somalia Computer Incident Response Team (SOMCIRT) on Saturday, March 7. The center coordinates the prevention, detection and response to cybersecurity incidents across the country.
Many African countries continue to strengthen national cyber defenses as digital services expand. Somalia has recently intensified efforts in this area and adopted new legislation to strengthen cybersecurity governance.
๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ NCA Somalia (@SomaliaNCA) March 7, 2026
Mogadishu, Somalia โ 7 March 2026 โ The Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia, H.E. Hamza Abdi Barre, today inaugurated the Somalia Computerโฆ pic.twitter.com/LDAsGfznLW
According to the National Communications Authority, the center supports incident reporting and issues cybersecurity alerts and warnings.
The authority states that the center coordinates responses to cyber threats and promotes cybersecurity awareness across institutions.
The initiative also strengthens cooperation between government institutions, private-sector actors and international partners to improve protection of Somaliaโs critical digital infrastructure.
Mohamed Hassan Mohamed emphasized the importance of stronger cyber defenses as digital services expand.
โAs digital services continue to grow across Somalia, strengthening cybersecurity systems is essential to protect government institutions, telecommunications infrastructure and other critical sectors. SOMCIRT will play a key role in ensuring that our digital ecosystem remains secure and resilient,โ he said.
Parliament approved the Cybersecurity Law in January 2026 and mandated the creation of SOMCIRT under that legislation.
The launch adds to several initiatives that Somalia has implemented in recent months to strengthen national capabilities against cyber threats and improve protection of digital infrastructure.
The Somali government has introduced several regulatory reforms in recent years to strengthen the countryโs digital governance framework.
Authorities approved a cybercrime bill in August 2025. The government had already enacted a data protection law in March 2023, which led to the creation of the Agence de protection des donnรฉes to oversee its enforcement.
Somalia has also expanded international cooperation in digital policy and cybersecurity. The country signed a memorandum of understanding with Turkey on February 10, 2026 covering several areas of digital cooperation, including cybersecurity.
Somalia has also strengthened ties with Malaysia and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime on cyber-related initiatives. These efforts take place as governments increasingly view cybersecurity as a prerequisite for benefiting fully from digital technologies.
The International Telecommunication Union ranked Somalia in Tier 4 out of 5 in the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024. The country recorded an overall score of 37.39 out of 100, which indicates that Somalia must intensify efforts in technical measures, legal frameworks and capacity development.
Isaac K. Kassouwi
