Somali Forces Conduct Door-to-Door Voter Registration Amid Controversy

Security forces in Mogadishu have launched a forceful door-to-door voter registration campaign ahead of Somalia’s first one-person, one-vote elections in over 50 years, scheduled for June 30, 2025.

According to local media, residents are not only being visited at home but also stopped in public spaces like markets and bus terminals and asked to show proof of registration. Those without voter cards are reportedly escorted by armed personnel to registration centres.

This campaign, which began on April 13, has intensified as the government pushes to meet registration targets. However, backlash is growing. Videos circulating online show individuals destroying their voter cards in protest.

"The government is forcing people to register for an election that lacks broad consensus,” said former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who criticized the use of coercion in a statement in late May.

The elections represent a major departure from Somalia’s traditional clan-based voting system. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sees universal suffrage as key to democratic reform and national unity.

Yet opposition parties, civil society groups, and some regional leaders argue the process lacks inclusivity.

Meanwhile, Puntland, Somalia’s semi-autonomous northeastern region, has outright rejected the federal plan and refused to participate in the registration drive. Puntland has maintained self-governance since 1998 and continues to resist central authority over electoral processes.

Despite the tension, federal authorities are determined to move forward with the new model, setting the stage for a critical test of Somalia’s democratic transition.