Djibouti Signs Artemis Accords as 72nd Signatory, 8th African Nation

The Republic of Djibouti signed the Artemis Accords on September 14, 2026 at a ceremony at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, becoming the 72nd nation overall and the 8th African country to join. Ambassador of Djibouti to the United States Mohamed Siad Douale signed on Djibouti's behalf; NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson hosted the ceremony alongside Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia. Anderson said, "Djibouti joins this coalition of like-minded nations at an important time. President Trump has directed NASA to return Americans to the lunar surface." Douale said Djibouti "seeks to deepen its partnership with the United States and with the growing community of nations committed to peaceful space cooperation." Djibouti's national space program, launched in 2020, has put two satellites — Djibouti 1A (2023) and Djibouti 1B (2024) — into orbit aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets. The signing came two weeks after Türkiye joined as the 71st signatory.