Mogadishu, Somalia – Somalia’s National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) officially launched voter registration on Tuesday in the capital, Mogadishu, marking a pivotal step toward the country’s first one-person, one-vote elections in over five decades, scheduled for 2026.
The registration drive kicked off in Shangani district, where hundreds of residents queued to receive voter identification cards. Among the first to register were senior government officials, including Mogadishu’s mayor, underscoring the political significance of the event.
NIEBC Chairperson Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan announced the commencement of the registration process, noting that additional districts in the capital would follow in the coming days.
“Today is the first step in a nationwide process. We are committed to ensuring that every eligible Somali has the chance to vote,” Hassan stated during the launch.
Local leaders hailed the milestone as a breakthrough in Somalia’s democratic journey. Mohamed Ahmed Diiriye (Yabooh), Deputy Governor for Security and Politics of the Banadir Regional Administration, called the launch a defining moment.
“This registration process puts to rest the long-standing myth that elections cannot be held in Somalia,” he said.
The NIEBC emphasized strong cooperation with local authorities and security forces, crediting the peaceful and orderly environment to coordinated efforts on the ground. Citizens were urged to register and take part in the democratic process.
The upcoming local elections, expected in June and July, are part of a broader effort by the federal government to shift away from the long-standing 4.5 clan-based power-sharing model.
That system, which allocated parliamentary representation based on clan affiliation, has faced increasing criticism in recent years.
While the launch was met with widespread optimism, it also sparked political controversy.
Former Presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo voiced concern over what they described as a unilateral process. Both leaders accused the federal government of excluding key stakeholders from decision-making, raising fears of political division ahead of the 2026 vote.
Somalia last held direct national elections in 1967. The most recent vote in 2022 followed an indirect model, in which clan elders and regional officials selected parliamentarians.
