MOGADISHU, Somalia — The Mayor of Mogadishu, Mohamed Hassan Hussein Muungaab, has denied allegations that residents of the capital were forced to register for the upcoming local elections, insisting the process was voluntary and widely welcomed.
Speaking at an official event in Mogadishu on Sunday, Muungaab said nearly one million people had registered to vote, and not a single case of forced registration had been recorded.
“Let me be clear — no one was forced to register. The people of Mogadishu came forward on their own, eager to participate. This is a sign of democratic progress,” he said.
His remarks follow claims by opposition politicians and some members of the public who alleged that armed security forces were deployed across the city, stopping public transport and coercing citizens into voter registration centers.
Muungaab dismissed these accusations as politically motivated and aimed at undermining the electoral process.
“These are baseless allegations meant to discredit a transparent and inclusive process. The people themselves wanted to register — that is the reality,” he added.
Meanwhile, the chairperson of Somalia’s Independent National Electoral Commission confirmed that the voter registration phase in Mogadishu had been completed, and announced that municipal elections for the Mogadishu city council will be held in October.
The vote will mark the first local election in Mogadishu in decades, a milestone in Somalia’s long and fragile journey toward democratic governance following years of conflict and instability.
