MOGADISHU, December 21, 2025 (Somalia Tribune) – Somali security authorities announced that nearly 10,000 police officers will be deployed to secure local council elections in the capital, Mogadishu, scheduled for December 25.
Interior Security Minister Mohamed Ahmed Fartaag said the Somali Police Force has completed all preparations to ensure the vote is conducted peacefully and transparently.
“Somali police are fully prepared and capable of securing the elections. All necessary security arrangements have been finalized,” Fartaag told journalists, stressing that protecting civilians remains the top priority.
The police will safeguard voters, polling stations, and election staff throughout the process.
These local council elections mark a historic milestone, as Somalis in Mogadishu will vote directly under a “one person, one vote” system for the first time in more than 50 years.
Authorities have intensified patrols, intelligence coordination, and checkpoints across the city amid concerns that armed groups could disrupt the electoral process.
Somalia has long struggled to hold direct elections due to decades of conflict and insecurity, with past political processes relying mostly on clan-based indirect voting systems.
