Somalia’s former President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed on Tuesday accused the federal government of coercing residents in Mogadishu to participate in a disputed voter registration process, alleging widespread irregularities and the use of force by security personnel.
Sharif, who led the country from 2009 to 2012 and remains an influential opposition figure, said authorities were compelling citizens to register under duress, raising serious concerns about the legitimacy of the forthcoming municipal elections.
“It is unacceptable for the government to use force against citizens and impose participation in a process that lacks consensus among political stakeholders,” Sharif said in a statement, following the circulation of videos purportedly showing security forces violently dispersing residents in the Kahda district of the capital.
The former president further alleged that the government had arbitrarily stripped several districts, including Kahda, of their administrative status, effectively barring them from participating in the local polls. He described the move as an attempt to stoke clan-based divisions and manipulate the electoral process for political gain.
