Somalis vote in the first one-person one-vote local election since 1969
Somalia’s first direct elections in over 50 years marked a landmark moment for democracy in November 2024, when citizens cast ballots in district council races for the first time since 1969. After decades of civil war, authoritarian rule, and indirect clan-delegate voting systems, ordinary Somalis finally chose their own local representatives. The elections included a 30% quota for women in council seats, a hard-won provision years in the making. Conducted amid ongoing security threats from al-Shabaab, the vote represents meaningful progress in Somalia’s long, difficult rebuilding process.
