Amid opposition, Somali president says political leaders agreed to hold direct polls next year

BELEDWAYNE, Somalia

Despite opposition from two states and former presidents, the Somalia Presidency announced on Thursday that political parties have reached an agreement to hold a direct election next year, after 56 years, with elections for parliament members and state presidents scheduled for September 2025.

The agreement was reached late Wednesday at the Somali National Consultative Council Meeting, which was presided over by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and attended by political leaders from Hirshabele, Galmudug, and South West states, as well as Mogadishu Mayor Yousuf Hussein Jim'ale, the Presidency said in a statement.

Since March 1969, Somalia has not had a direct election system – a method of selecting political officeholders in which voters cast ballots directly for the individuals or political parties they want to be elected.

The meeting agreed that local council elections would be held in June of next year, while federal parliament representatives, members of state legislatures, and presidents would be elected in September 2025.

“The Council reaffirmed the fulfillment of prior agreements concerning the electoral process is essential for enabling the Somali people to participate in fair and transparent elections,” said the statement.

It added that the independent national electoral and boundaries commissions are tasked with developing a comprehensive and transparent electoral timeline to guide the upcoming election processes.

However, Said Abdullahi Deni, president of the semiautonomous Puntland region, and Ahmed Madobe, president of Jubaland state, have boycotted the meeting and rejected the decision to hold direct elections, as well as the election schedule.

Opposition leaders, including former presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo, rejected the direct election in separate statements, arguing that it would lead to political divisions and jeopardize national unity.

Military operation against al-Shabaab terrorist group

Meanwhile, the Somali Information Ministry said on Thursday that the country’s elite soldiers launched a new military operation against the terrorist group al-Shabaab.

More than 15 al-Shabaab terrorists were killed in an operation that began early Thursday morning in the north-central province of Mudug.

Somali military backed by local militias and international partners has been conducting operations and offensives against the group since 2022.

The Somali military, supported by local militias and international partners, has been conducting operations against the militant group ever since.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with al-Shabaab and Daesh/ISIS terrorist groups posing the most serious threats.

Since 2007, al-Shabaab has been fighting the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) -- a multidimensional mission authorized by the African Union and mandated by the UN Security Council.

The terror group has stepped up attacks since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an "all-out war" on the group.