MOGADISHU, Somalia — More than 500,000 voters in Somalia’s capital cast ballots Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, in municipal elections. The vote is a step toward the country’s first direct national elections in more than 50 decades, currently scheduled for 2026.
Somalia’s National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) said 1,604 candidates from 20 political parties are running for 390 district council posts in Mogadishu. The election is intended to dismantle the country’s long-standing clan-based political system.
The vote marks the first direct election in the capital in decades. According to the electoral body, 523 polling stations across 16 districts opened at 6 a.m. and were due to close at 6 p.m., with results expected Friday.
“We are happy to announce that the local council election of the Banadir region officially started in designated polling stations early this morning peacefully,” NIEBC Chairman Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan said.
Milestone
Ahead of the vote, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said the municipal elections are a milestone for the revival of the government and security of the capital. He urged registered voters to exercise their constitutional rights.
“This election is a powerful statement to Somalia’s recovery and the strengthening of the state institutions, and clear evidence that Mogadishu is secure and stable,” Mohamud said in a televised address.
Authorities said extensive security measures were in place because of concerns over possible attacks by al-Shabab militants. Security was tight across the capital, and an overnight curfew restricted traffic.
Several opposition parties announced a boycott of the vote and alleged electoral fraud. Voters in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland and the breakaway region of Somaliland are not participating in the elections.
For many residents, the vote carried personal significance. “This is a historic opportunity that has never passed me by in my entire life. I am 52 years old, and I have never voted before,” Hassan Mohamed Hussein said after casting his vote in the Karan district. / XINHUA