Somalia: Mogadishu Residents Report Coercion in Voter Registration Ahead of Local Council Elections

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Concerns are mounting over the voter registration process for the upcoming local council elections in Somalia’s Banaadir region [Mogadishu], where residents say they are being forced to register under tight deadlines. The pressure has sparked widespread anger and raised questions about the fairness and impartiality of the election.

The committee overseeing registration has been accused of lacking neutrality and transparency. Critics allege that the Somali presidency wields undue influence over the committee’s work. Notably, the committee chairman, Abdikariin Ahmed Hassan, served as campaign manager for President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s 2022 election, fueling doubts about the electoral body’s independence.

Local residents and civil society groups have expressed deep concerns that these developments threaten public trust and the integrity of the election. Motorcycle taxi drivers, known locally as “bajaaj,” say they have been forced off the streets and compelled to attend registration centers, indicating direct coercion.

Residents are calling on national leaders and relevant authorities to ensure that the elections are conducted in a free and fair environment, safeguarding voters’ rights. They warn that forced registration tactics risk undermining the democratic process by artificially inflating voter rolls.

The elections were originally scheduled for this month but have been postponed amid intense political disputes over the presidency’s role in forming the electoral commission, constitutional amendments made without broad consultation, and other contentious issues among political stakeholders.

GAROWE ONLINE