Report Finds Mogadishu’s First Local Elections in Decades Peaceful, Amid Misinformation

Mogadishu’s first local vote in nearly 60 years peaceful, but disinformation and state-media bias clouded campaign, watchdog says

NUSOJ report urges stronger safeguards for media freedom as Somalia eyes broader direct elections

MOGADISHU — Somalia’s first direct local council elections in Mogadishu since 1969 were peaceful and orderly but marred by disinformation and political bias in coverage, according to a monitoring report released Wednesday by the National Union of Somali Journalists.

The Election Observation and Media Monitoring Report by NUSOJ assessed the Dec. 25, 2025, Banadir local council polls, drawing on structured monitoring and observation conducted from Nov. 1 to Dec. 30. The union called the vote a historic milestone, restoring direct local balloting in the capital after nearly six decades.

“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.”

Across Mogadishu’s 16 districts, 1,604 candidates competed for 390 council seats. Authorities imposed extensive security measures — including a citywide lockdown and the deployment of nearly 10,000 troops — to secure the polls. NUSOJ documented no election-related violence and no attacks on journalists or media outlets, calling it the first peaceful direct election experience for much of the population.

Radio was the most influential source of election information, reaching about 58% of audiences, the report said. Television reached 29% and online media 13%, with print playing a negligible role amid the near disappearance of independent newspapers.

Private media outlets provided the most professional and balanced coverage, according to NUSOJ, adhering to a code of conduct jointly endorsed by the union, the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) and the Ministry of Information. Several privately owned outlets also corrected errors promptly, including content that could have inflamed political or clan tensions.

State media, by contrast, were criticized for prioritizing institutional messaging and giving disproportionate coverage to the ruling Justice and Solidarity Party, while providing unequal access for opposition parties and candidates. NUSOJ also found that ownership interests influenced editorial decisions in some private outlets, undercutting independence.

The report warned that misinformation and disinformation were among the most serious challenges to the election. False or manipulated narratives were assessed as moderate to high before the vote, dipped slightly on election day, and then surged sharply afterward — a trend the union said fueled polarization and eroded public confidence in results and institutions.

Disinformation came from multiple directions, including government-aligned communicators, opposition politicians and ordinary users, and was further amplified by social media algorithms and accounts operating from outside Somalia. The report noted instances of opposition figures invoking clan identity to discredit the vote without adequate evidence or context.

NUSOJ accredited 28 local and 12 international media organizations for the polls, facilitating coverage by 62 local and 32 international journalists. While accreditation generally improved access, inconsistencies in enforcing access rules — and the accreditation of influencers and content creators alongside professional journalists — created confusion at some polling sites, the union said.

Ten trained NUSOJ observers stationed across all districts reported that 70% to 75% of polling stations opened on time, queues were manageable, and most voters completed the process in four to six minutes. Police-imposed movement restrictions between 5 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. initially limited media access; those curbs were lifted after the union intervened with election authorities and police leadership. Only one isolated incident of political tension was reported and quickly contained.

In the run-up to the vote, NUSOJ trained 102 journalists in partnership with the NIEBC, emphasizing election procedures, ethics and professional standards — a step the union said improved accuracy and voter understanding.

Concluding that the Banadir elections were “peaceful, orderly and encouragingly successful,” NUSOJ urged authorities to put in place stronger protections for media freedom, ensure equitable access for all political actors, improve transparency in official communications and establish 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.” The union said Mogadishu’s vote offers a foundation the country must build on as it moves toward broader direct national elections.

By Ali Musa

Axadle Times international–Monitoring.