Somalia announced Thursday that it has officially registered the first vessel to sail under the Horn of Africa nation's flag since the collapse of former institutions in the 1991 civil war.
"Today, we officially registered the vessel 'Guney' (IMO 8230417) under the flag of the Federal Republic of Somalia," Ports and Marine Transport Minister Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur said in a statement.
He said that the registration of the vessel, which marks the first time since the collapse of the state more than three decades ago in the civil war, is "symbolizing the revival of Somalia's maritime authority and the renewed credibility of the Somali flag."
He called the shipowners and maritime businesses to register their vessels under the national flag.
The announcement comes after Mogadishu adopted the necessary national legislation and international maritime regulations required to establish Somalia's ship registry.
Somalia has coastal areas stretching over 3,330 kilometers (2069 miles), making it the longest in mainland Africa, running along both the Gulf of Aden in the north and the Indian Ocean in the east and south.
