Somalia’s long-delayed election now face a security threat

Sunday’s presidential election will be contested by 37 candidates after two candidates withdrew from the race in support of Abdirahman Abdishakur, the former planning minister contesting the top seat.

News Keydmedia Online
14 May 2022

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A curfew has been imposed in Mogadishu the day before the presidential election, which will take place at a tent at Mogadishu Airport on Sunday under tight security.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday morning, Somali police spokesman Colonel Abdifatah Aden Hassan said the city will be placed under a total lockdown from tonight at 9 PM local time.

The curfew will continue until 6 am on Monday. This came after an Al-Shabaab bomber carried out a deadly suicide explosion at a security checkpoint near the airport on May 11, killing at least six people.

The people in the capital have expressed concern about the curfew, which will affect business and education in the city inhabited by more than three million people recovering from 30 years of conflict.

The residents will stay at home through Sunday with no access to the streets under the lockdown and additional forces will be deployed to tighten the security measures aimed to prevent Al-Shabaab attacks.

Sunday’s presidential election will be contested by 37 candidates after two candidates withdrew from the race in support of Abdirahman Abdishakur, the former planning minister contesting the top seat.

Also in competition are two former presidents Hassan Sheikh and Sharif Sheikh Ahmed from the same clan [Abgal], and ex-PM Hassan Ali Khaire who once served as Soma Oil & Gas East Africa director.

Each candidate paid $ 40,000 for registration, and the 37 hopefuls are on the last day of the election campaign, with MPs' votes being sold in hotels in Mogadishu with hundreds of thousands of USD.

The members of the Federal Parliament made up of 257 Lower House and 54 Upper House [329] will be the voting as the citizens have not cast their votes for over 50 years.

KEYDMEDIA English