MOGADISHU, Somalia – It seems President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is ready to advance without engaging in extensive political dialogues. While some might question the efficacy of such a move, he is set on initiating a voter registration exercise. This decision, however, surfaces amidst palpable tension and disagreements with some federal states.

Slated for May 2025, the National Consultative Council (NCC) posse will convene to address and possibly iron out these creases. Meanwhile, electoral officers are gearing up for voter registration to commence in Mogadishu on April 15. It’s a significant step toward engaging locals in electing their council leaders come June 30, 2025, in the heart of Somalia’s capital.

“For the first time in decades, Mogadishu’s residents may well have a say in their local governance, a phenomenon celebrated in Northeastern State’s history following their success in similar exercises.”

This move echoes an agreement forged last year among federal and regional leaders, excluding key voices from Northeastern State and Jubaland—their absence still looms large. But why didn’t these regions participate? Was it oversight, or a strategic demonstration of autonomy?

Engagement moves have been made to involve Hirshabelle, Galmudug, and Southwest state leaders. Invitations were extended to Jubaland and Northeastern State, yet their RSVP remains mysterious. Could they, after all, accept and reshape these discussions? There lies the undercurrent of political chess play.

Beneath the surface, one can’t help but sense a flash of deja vu. Last year, federal and regional leaders postponed popular elections to 2025. At the time, Jubaland and Northeastern State delegations were notably absent, accusing federal leadership of rushing a universal suffrage model without consensus—an argument emblazoned in Somalia’s political discourse.

As the agreement stands, direct local elections are to nestle into June 2025, followed seamlessly by regional parliamentary and leadership elections in September 2025. Yet, opposition bites back from Northeastern State and Jubaland, advocating for a world where adherence to the law remains unwavering. Isn’t it true that resilience is born in trenches of contention?

The original electoral plan painted June 2024 for local polls and November 2024 for the regional elections. These decisions emerged from intense weeks—days hinged on the hope of inclusivity—navigating through the capital’s corridors. Yet, in a silence speaking volumes, Said Abdullahi Deni of Northeastern State and Ahmed Islam Mohamed Madobe of Jubaland held their ground, absent from those pivotal gatherings.

Thinking back on a seemingly unrelated and heartwarming childhood anecdote—one when we gathered as a family around a single radio, each word punctuated by static yet filled with meaning—sometimes it’s not just what is voiced, but who is there to listen and respond. This transcends into our adult concerns too, where voices, both present and absent, shape narratives and steer decisions.