Letter from Mogadishu: Democracy takes shape in Somalia as capital swears in new leaders

Photo- AFP

Somalia made a major step towards democracy when it swore in 390 officials elected last December through universal suffrage as members of the newly elected Banadir (Mogadishu) Regional Council.

This marks the capital’s first one-person, one-vote local election in more than 50 years and a stepping stone the government plans to use to push for adoption during the country’s next year’s polls for parliamentary and presidential elections.

The council members who took oath office were elected across Mogadishu’s 16 districts and represent 20 political parties.

The election of the 390 representatives heralded a big switch from Somalia’s long-standing indirect clan-based political model practiced since the country had a semblance of order in 2004

The chair of the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan described the moment as historic.

He noted that it was the first time in more than five decades, Somalis have directly elected representatives who will serve at the local level adding the inclusion of women and youth among the council members as evidence of expanding political participation.

The newly sworn-in members are expected to play a key role in overseeing essential public services, including waste management, road maintenance, public education, security, safety coordination, and local revenue collection.

The Mogadishu regional elections represent Somalia’s first major voting exercise organized by the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. The vote is widely viewed as a test case for the federal government’s broader plan to implement nationwide one-person, one-vote elections.

Mogadishu residents cast ballots in December in what officials framed as the country’s first direct vote since 1969. The exercise marked a departure from Somalia’s indirect electoral system, in which clan delegates select lawmakers who then choose the president.

The Banadir vote did not determine the mayor of Mogadishu, who also serves as governor of the Banadir region since the constitutional status of the capital has yet to be resolved, an issue that requires national agreement.

However, the Mogadishu regional election was not without controversy. The opposition parties rejected the elections as flawed and one-sided, accusing the federal government of lacking consensus and transparency.

This has led to political tensions between President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and leaders of federal member states, particularly Puntland and Jubaland, over constitutional reforms and the future of the electoral system.

Two weeks ago, the President of South West State was forced to resign after he rejected the use of universal suffrage in the state’s elections.

The Mogadishu regional elections are now being touted by federal authorities as the first step towards expanding direct voting to other federal member states, including South West, Hirshabelle, Galmudug and the Northeast regions.

Although the elections faced logistical hurdles and security concerns - including threats from Al-Shabaab militants opposed to the democratic process-international partners and Somali civil society groups have widely welcomed the vote as a critical step toward broader electoral reform in Somalia.

Meanwhile, terror group Al Shabaab that straddles the east African landscape but with its base in Somalia seems to be on the rebound.

Early this month the group suffered a setback when one of its commanders in the southern region of Somalia was nabbed by Somalia National Armed forces supported by the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).

The capture of the Kenyan national came after another senior Al Shabaab leader based in Lower Shabelle region accused of orchestrating several deadly attacks had been eliminated by the intelligence agency in Somalia.

The killing of the terror gang leader in Lower Shabelle region followed the launch a fresh offensive against the group dubbed Operation Rolling Thunder targeting Al Shabaab in Lower Shabelle region.

The operation’s goal is to dismantle the militant’s bases, disrupt supply routes and prevent planned attacks.

But as the Somali army and AUSSOM were making progress, the terror group has not been resting on their laurels.

Last Monday authorities in Jubaland state seized 25 bales of camouflage gear in Dhobley belonging to the terror group. Each bale contained 60 full uniforms and 120 t-shirts.

This triggered a series of investigations all the way from Somalia to Kenya and where the consignment had originated from in China.

Two days after the Dhobley discovery, police were able to trace more consignment in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area. A further 11 bales of a similar consignment was seized at a courier firm.

Jubaland state and Jilib in particular is the nerve centre of Al Shabaab where they have set up their training camps and host fighters who land in Somalia to join the group.

With the Somalia and the Kenyan links established, the investigations have now moved to China where the uniforms originated.

The investigators will be trying to piece together who was behind the consignment, the recipients at the port of Mombasa, the clearing agency and the owners of the storage facilities in Eastleigh.

The operation to tie up the loose ends is led by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit following intelligence that the shipment may be connected to wider regional supply routes.

Preliminary investigations suggest the goods, believed to have originated from China, were imported as consolidated cargo before being moved through a network of logistics intermediaries.

The investigators are holding several suspects, including individuals linked to cargo handling and distribution, as they work to dismantle the wider supply chain.

The operation comes amid intensified regional counterterrorism efforts targeting suspected support networks for Al-Shabaab across Kenya and the Horn of Africa, with security agencies continuing investigations into possible cross-border links.

The terror gang has grown in courage over the few years carrying out daring raids in the region including Mogadishu. While the attacks in the Somali capital have been carried out by the locals, the latest attack was carried out by foreign nationals.

 As Kenya frantically investigates the people behind this consignment, security experts will be probing how this consignment could literally pass under the nose of the anti-terror police unit without a sniff of detection.