Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, heads to the polls on Thursday for its first local elections by universal suffrage in nearly six decades, with authorities imposing a complete citywide lockdown amid heightened security concerns, reports AFP.
The vote comes as the East African nation continues to emerge from decades of conflict, while facing a persistent Islamist insurgency and recurring natural disasters.
Thursday’s elections are designed as a pilot for the direct voting system championed by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. The initiative has drawn opposition from several federal member states and political parties, who argue it is an attempt to centralise power in Mogadishu.
According to Somalia’s electoral authority, more than 1,600 candidates are contesting 390 local council seats in the southeastern Banadir region, which includes the capital. Several key opposition parties are boycotting the vote, accusing the federal government of pursuing a “unilateral election process.”
Somalia abolished universal suffrage after military ruler Siad Barre seized power in 1969. Since the collapse of his regime in 1991, the country has relied on a clan-based political system to allocate power.
Direct elections are held in the self-declared republic of Somaliland, which broke away in 1991 but lacks international recognition. Puntland, Somalia’s semi-autonomous northern state, held local elections by direct vote in May 2023, but later abandoned the system for subsequent polls earlier this year.
The Mogadishu vote has already been postponed three times in 2025.
Security has been significantly tightened ahead of polling day. Security Minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail said more than 10,000 security personnel will be deployed across the capital. Electoral commission chief Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan said all movement would be restricted on election day, adding that “the whole city will be shut down.”
Nearly 400,000 voters are expected to cast ballots, with buses provided to transport voters to polling stations. Somalia’s civil aviation authority also announced that Mogadishu’s main airport will be closed on election day.
Somalia has battled the Al-Shabaab militant group since the mid-2000s, but security has deteriorated sharply this year, with the group recapturing dozens of towns and villages and reversing gains made during the 2022–2023 military campaign.
Despite the historic nature of the vote, analysts have raised concerns about its credibility. Security analyst Samira Gaid described the process as “stage-managed,” saying it was intended to make Somalia “appear like a democracy.”
“There is close to zero civilian participation. It’s mostly a government and security forces operation,” Gaid told AFP, adding that voter registration efforts had been unsuccessful.
The elections come amid mounting political tensions ahead of national polls scheduled for next year. Parliament’s mandate expires in April, followed by the end of President Mohamud’s term in May.
The International Crisis Group has warned that the situation mirrors the 2021 political crisis under former president Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo,” when delays in organising elections led to armed clashes between rival factions.
With time running short, there is still no agreement on how the 2026 elections will be conducted. Opposition groups and federal member states have warned they may run a parallel electoral process if consensus is not reached.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
