Election Report Applauds Media Professionalism, Peaceful Banadir Polls, Warns of Disinformation

Election Report Highlights Professional Media Coverage and Peaceful Banadir Polls, Warns of Rising Disinformation

Somalia’s first direct local elections in Mogadishu since 1969 unfolded peacefully and with unexpectedly strong professional standards in the private media, but a surge of disinformation before and after the vote threatens to undermine public trust, according to a new report by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ).

In its Election Observation and Media Monitoring Report covering the Banadir Local Council Elections held Dec. 25, 2025, NUSOJ says the Mogadishu polls served as a test case for the country’s broader shift toward direct political participation. The union’s monitoring spanned Nov. 1 to Dec. 30 and combined media analysis with on-the-ground observation across all 16 districts of the capital.

Why this vote mattered

For Mogadishu, the vote represented a return to direct local governance after nearly six decades. A total of 1,604 candidates contested 390 seats across district councils, the report says. Authorities deployed nearly 10,000 troops and enforced a citywide lockdown on election day. Despite the heavy security footprint, NUSOJ documented no incidents of violence or unrest. No attacks were recorded against journalists or news outlets on election day, a milestone for a city where generations came of age without direct elections.

Recognizing the moment, NUSOJ established a media monitoring unit at its Mogadishu headquarters to track radio, television and online news coverage, as well as social platforms including Facebook, X and TikTok. The monitoring looked at access to information, fairness, accuracy, editorial balance, and the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation.

Where voters got information: radio still rules

NUSOJ found that radio remained the dominant channel for election information, accounting for approximately 58% of audience reach. Television followed with 29%, while online media drew 13%. Print media played a negligible role; according to the report, only one independent newspaper remained in circulation and was rarely read. The findings reinforce radio’s centrality for voter information and civic awareness in Mogadishu.

Private media outperformed; state media favored the ruling party

Private outlets delivered the most professional coverage of the Banadir elections, the report says, demonstrating balance, verification and editorial discipline during a politically sensitive period. NUSOJ observers said these outlets largely complied with a code of conduct agreed with election authorities, jointly signed by the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC), NUSOJ representing independent media, and the Ministry of Information representing state media. Private outlets also corrected errors promptly, including retracting or editing content that risked stoking political or clan-based tensions.

By contrast, state media prioritized institutional messaging and placed notable emphasis on statements tied to the ruling Justice and Solidarity Party, while failing to provide equitable access to all parties and candidates, NUSOJ reports. Even within the private sector, editorial independence varied, with some evidence that owners’ political affiliations influenced coverage.

Access and accreditation: broad, but uneven

Accreditation generally facilitated coverage by 28 local and 12 international media organizations. In total, 62 local journalists and media workers and 32 international journalists and media workers were credentialed. Still, enforcement of access rules was inconsistent, and accrediting non-journalistic actors — including influencers and content creators — created confusion at some polling sites and diluted professional standards, the report says.

Disinformation: a sharp post-election spike

While misinformation and disinformation were moderate to high ahead of election day and dipped slightly during voting, NUSOJ found a sharp increase in the days immediately after the polls. Misleading narratives were amplified by viral sharing and platform algorithms and spread across social networks and messaging apps, including activity linked to accounts outside Somalia.

Multiple actors generated false or manipulated content, the report says, including government and state-aligned communicators, opposition politicians and members of the public. Throughout the period, NUSOJ observed content that deepened social divisions and clouded the public conversation with unverified claims. The report notes that some opposition figures deployed clan identity to undermine the electoral process and heighten political tensions, often without providing sufficient context or evidence.

On the ground: securitized but orderly

Beyond media monitoring, NUSOJ deployed 10 trained local observers to sampled polling stations across all 16 districts to assess site preparations and conditions for journalists. The environment was heavily securitized, but measures were largely effective in preventing disruptions, according to the report. Observers found that 70% to 75% of polling stations opened on time. Queues were generally manageable. The average wait was just over half an hour, and the voting process took an estimated four to six minutes per voter.

Sporadic movement restrictions imposed by police from 5:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. limited early access for media and observers. After NUSOJ engaged with NIEBC and police leadership, the restrictions were lifted around midday. The report records one isolated incident of political tension that was contained locally and did not escalate.

Training and standards: building capacity ahead of the polls

In partnership with NIEBC, NUSOJ ran a pre-election capacity-building program that trained 102 journalists on election procedures, media ethics and professional standards. The initiative aimed to strengthen the media’s ability to deliver credible information to voters during Somalia’s democratic transition, and to reinforce safety and professional discipline in a charged political moment.

What it means for Somalia’s democratic transition

NUSOJ frames the Banadir elections as peaceful, orderly and encouragingly successful — a platform Somalia can build upon as it moves toward wider direct elections. But it warns that disinformation now poses a direct threat to social cohesion and democratic trust, requiring a more coherent and proactive response from institutions, platforms and the broader media sector.

“Somalia’s democratic transition will depend not only on peaceful voting but also on the integrity of the information citizens rely on to make their choices. This report shows that professional journalism can strengthen elections, and media freedom is an indispensable benchmark for credible elections. But it also warns that disinformation and politically manipulated narratives are becoming a direct threat to social cohesion and democratic trust. Strengthening media independence, transparency and accountability is no longer optional; it is essential,” NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman said.

What should happen next

NUSOJ’s recommendations, if adopted, would harden the information environment against manipulation while preserving reporting access and public scrutiny:

• Protect journalists’ access and safety, including clear, consistently enforced accreditation rules that prioritize professional media.
• Ensure equitable media space for all political actors across public and private outlets.
• Improve the transparency and timeliness of official communications to reduce information vacuums.
• Develop national mechanisms to counter misinformation and disinformation before, during and after election day — in partnership with independent media and civil society.

As Somalia edges toward broader direct elections, the Banadir experience suggests professional journalism can anchor trust — provided that authorities, media leaders and platforms confront the escalating challenge of disinformation with the urgency it now demands.

By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.