By HAN News Desk
MOGADISHU — Nearly 10,000 Somali police officers will be deployed across Mogadishu to secure local council elections scheduled for Dec. 25, Somali security officials said Sunday.
Minister of Internal Security Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail, widely known as Farataag, told reporters that the Somali Police Force has finalized comprehensive security plans to ensure the elections are conducted peacefully, safely and fairly.
“The Somali Police are fully prepared and capable of securing the elections. All necessary arrangements have been completed,” Farataag said, adding that the protection of civilians, polling stations and election personnel remains the top priority.
Police officers will be stationed throughout the capital to safeguard voters, polling centers, election officials and critical infrastructure during the voting process, according to the ministry.
The upcoming vote is widely seen as a historic milestone, marking the first direct one-person, one-vote local council elections in Mogadishu in more than five decades.
Security agencies have stepped up patrols, reinforced checkpoints and strengthened intelligence coordination in anticipation of possible threats, particularly from armed groups seeking to disrupt the process.
Meanwhile, the National Independent Electoral Commission said nearly 5,000 election workers will be deployed to polling stations across the Banadir region on election day.
Commission Chairman Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan said the election staff — most of them young Somalis — have received extensive training in election administration, voter rights, polling procedures and staff responsibilities to ensure a transparent and credible process in line with national law.
“The Banadir election is of particular importance and can play a significant role in Somalia’s democratic trajectory,” Abdikarim said, noting that well-trained election workers are essential to building public trust in the electoral process.
