Mogadishu’s mayor praised residents and security forces after peaceful Benadir Regional Council elections across 16 districts, calling the high-turnout, incident-free vote a defining step for the city’s democratic future.
Banadir authorities have placed all emergency and security units on full alert in Mogadishu ahead of Thursday’s one-person, one-vote local elections, aiming to protect voters and polling staff across the capital.
Somali police arrested 11 soldiers in central Mogadishu for carrying weapons off duty without authorization, violating security directives aimed at curbing gun misuse and reassuring civilians.
Motorcycle taxi drivers are among the most vulnerable workers in Mogadishu, often navigating insecurity, checkpoints, and tense encounters simply to earn daily income. Incidents involving armed personnel and civilians have repeatedly sparked public anger, with communities demanding justice rather than silence or impunity.