MOGADISHU — Somali security authorities said nearly 10,000 police officers will be deployed to secure local council elections scheduled to take place in the capital Mogadishu on December 25.
Interior Security Minister Mohamed Ahmed Fartaag said the Somali Police Force had completed all security 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 finalised,” Fartaag told journalists ahead of the polls, stressing that the protection of civilians remained the top priority.
He said police would be responsible for safeguarding voters, polling stations and election staff throughout the process.
The local council elections are seen as a historic milestone, marking the first time in more than 50 years that Somalis in Mogadishu will vote directly under a “one person, one vote” system.
Security agencies have stepped up patrols, intelligence coordination and checkpoints across the city, amid concerns that armed groups could attempt to disrupt the electoral process.
Somalia has long struggled to hold direct elections due to decades of conflict and insecurity, with previous political processes relying largely on clan-based indirect voting systems.
