Somalia: Somalis cast votes in Wajid as country advances democratic transition.

SHOTLIST: WAJID, SOMALIA (MAY 10, 2026) 1. VOTERS WAITING TO CAST THEIR BALLOTS IN SOMALIA’S WAJID 2. VARIOUS OF SOMALIA’S MINISTER OF PORTS AND MARINE TRANSPORT ABDULKADIR MOHAMED NUR CASTING HIS VOTE 3. VARIOUS OF ABDULKADIR MOHAMED NUR SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Turkish)WAJID, SOMALIA - MAY 10, 2026: Voters in Somalia’s Wajid headed to polling stations early Sunday, May 10, to cast their ballots under tight security measures, marking another step in the country’s ongoing democratization process. Long queues formed outside voting centers as citizens participated in the electoral process, while officials said the voting was proceeding in an orderly and peaceful manner. Somalia’s Minister of Ports and Marine Transport, Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, also cast his vote in the town of Wajid, where he had previously registered. Speaking to Anadolu, Nur said Somali youth no longer wanted others to decide their future. He added that Somalia was gradually moving toward democratization and thanked all Somali citizens, whether they voted or not. Nur recalled that Somalia had once been among Africa’s leading democracies before the country collapsed following years of instability. Somalia last held direct elections in 1969. Following the outbreak of civil war in 1991, the country was governed for years under the clan-based “4.5 system,” in which citizens did not vote directly. Instead, lawmakers were selected by clan delegates, and the president was elected by parliament. In December 2025, the federal government implemented direct elections in the Benadir region, which includes the capital Mogadishu, for the first time in 57 years. Authorities have described the transition from the long-standing indirect “4.5 system” to a “one person, one vote” model as a historic milestone for the Horn of Africa nation.