Mogadishu — On the 28th of may 2025, the Somali Electoral Commission and Boundaries Committee officially addressed allegations related to the process of voter registration, particularly concerning university students in Mogadishu. Opposition groups had accused the commission of forcibly registering students using military power.

Abdullahi Salad Yarow, a member of the Electoral Commission, stated that some universities had formally requested the commission to visit their campuses to facilitate the registration of students, as many students had been unable to register during the commission’s regular working hours.

“Since working days are from Saturday to Thursday, with Friday as a day off, university students have not had adequate opportunity to register during the commission’s operational hours. Therefore, several universities submitted requests for the registration process to be brought closer to their locations,” said Abdullahi Salad Yarow.

Opposition figures, including Abdirahman Abdishakuur and the Himilo Qaran party, had previously accused the commission of pressuring educational institutions in Mogadishu to register students forcibly, allegedly using military force. This statement appears to be the commission’s response to opposition allegations, denying any use of force and emphasizing that the move was in response to official requests from some universities.