Mogadishu heads to first local elections in decades under tight securityNAIROBI, Dec 25, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, will head tothe polls on Thursday for local elections -- the first by universal suffragein nearly 60 years -- under a complete citywide lockdown amid securityconcerns. According to the country's electoral body more than 1,600 candidates willcontest 390 local council seats in the southeastern Banadir region. Since the fall of his authoritarian government in 1991, thecountry's political system has revolved around a clan-based structure. In May 2023, the semi-autonomous northern state of Puntland held localelections by direct vote, but later abandoned the system for local andregional polls in January. Nearly 400,000 voters are expected to cast ballots, with Hassan saying buseswill be provided to transport voters to polling stations.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha December 25, 2025 13:51 UTC