Somalia Launches First Voter Registration In Capital In Five Decades

Mogadishu: Somalia on Tuesday launched voter registration in the capital Mogadishu for the first time in over 50 years, a step towards universal suffrage ahead of presidential elections scheduled for 2026 in the volatile nation.

The east African country is struggling to emerge from decades of conflict and chaos, battling a bloody Islamist insurgency and frequent natural disasters.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud pledged last year to end the complex clan-based indirect voting system that had been in place since 1969, when the dictator Siad Barre seized power.

An AFP correspondent observed dozens of people queuing to register in the Mogadishu district of Shangani, most of whom had never been in an electoral registration office before.

"I'm still not sure about this and how it will work, but I'm very happy to be here today to register," said 25-year-old Ali Mohammed.

While he welcomed the opportunity to vote, he voiced the scepticism of many, wondering "if this works".

Abdirahman Dhegey, 35, also waiting in line to register said: "We have never elected anybody before so if this registration works and we cast our vote to elect, it will be very good for the people."

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