Mogadishu’s first local elections in decades calm, fair media access amid disinformation: report

Wednesday January 14, 2026

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s first direct local council elections in Mogadishu in nearly 60 years were peaceful and orderly, but they unfolded amid a surge of misinformation and political bias, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ).

The Election Observation and Media Monitoring Report reviewed the Banadir local council vote held Dec. 25, 2025, drawing on structured monitoring from Nov. 1 to Dec. 30. NUSOJ called the exercise a historic milestone, returning the capital to direct local elections for the first time since 1969.

“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,” NUSOJ Secretary General Omar Faruk Osman said. “Professional journalism can strengthen elections, but disinformation is becoming a direct threat to democratic trust.”

In total, 1,604 candidates contested 390 seats across Mogadishu’s 16 districts. Authorities deployed nearly 10,000 troops and imposed a citywide lockdown on election day. Despite tight restrictions, NUSOJ documented no election-related violence and reported that no journalists or media outlets were attacked — making it one of the first peaceful direct election days experienced by much of the population.

The report found radio remained the dominant source of election information, reaching about 58% of audiences, followed by television at 29% and online media at 13%. Print’s role was negligible, with only one independent newspaper still operating and rarely read.

Private media outlets delivered the most professional coverage, the report said, showing strong editorial balance, verification and adherence to a code of conduct agreed by NUSOJ, the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) and the Ministry of Information. Several private outlets corrected errors promptly, including content that risked inflaming political or clan tensions.

State media, by contrast, prioritized institutional messaging and gave disproportionate coverage to the ruling Justice and Solidarity Party, failing to provide equal access to opposition parties and candidates, NUSOJ said. The union also noted that ownership interests influenced coverage in some private outlets, undermining editorial independence.

NUSOJ warned that misinformation and disinformation posed one of the most serious challenges to the vote. Online falsehoods were moderate to high before polling, dipped slightly on election day, then surged sharply afterward, fueling polarization and eroding public confidence. False or manipulated narratives were spread by multiple actors — including government-aligned communicators, opposition politicians and members of the public — often amplified by social media algorithms and accounts operating outside Somalia. The union also observed opposition figures exploiting clan identity to discredit the vote without sufficient evidence or context.

Accreditation covered 28 local and 12 international media organizations, including 62 local and 32 international journalists. While accreditation generally smoothed access, inconsistent enforcement of entry rules and the accreditation of influencers and content creators caused confusion and weakened professional standards at some polling locations.

Operationally, 10 trained NUSOJ observers deployed across all districts reported that 70% to 75% of polling stations opened on time. Queues were manageable and voting typically took four to six minutes per person. Police-imposed movement restrictions between 5 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. initially limited journalists’ access, but were lifted after NUSOJ intervened with election authorities and police leadership. Only one isolated incident of political tension was reported and was quickly contained.

Ahead of the vote, NUSOJ trained 102 journalists in partnership with the NIEBC, focusing on election procedures, ethics and professional standards — a step the union said improved coverage and public understanding.

Concluding that the Banadir elections were “peaceful, orderly and encouragingly successful,” NUSOJ urged reforms to fortify future polls, including:

• Stronger safeguards for media freedom and editorial independence.
• Equitable access for political actors across state and private outlets.
• Improved transparency and timeliness in official communications.
• Robust national mechanisms to counter disinformation before and after polling.

“The lesson is clear,” Osman said. “Media freedom is not optional. It is a benchmark for credible elections.” NUSOJ said the Banadir vote provides a foundation Somalia must build on as it moves toward broader direct national elections.

By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.