Somalia says it will hold elections in 2027

Key points

• Somalia's electoral commission says parliamentary elections will be held on April 15, 2027, and the presidential vote on May 15, 2027.
• Opposition parties rejected the constitutional amendment that extended President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's term and have not agreed to the election plan.
• Analysts and some Mogadishu residents warn the one-sided process could deepen fragmentation and lead to conflict.

Somalia's Independent National Elections and Boundaries Commission announced that parliamentary and presidential elections will be held in 2027. Commission chief Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan said on the state broadcaster that lower and upper chamber parliamentary votes are planned for April 15, 2027, with a presidential election set for May 15.

The electoral body said the presidential vote follows a rule stating the president's term is five years from the date of swearing-in. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's second term, which began in 2022, ended earlier this year, but his government declared a transition period through a constitutional amendment in May despite an agreement with the opposition to hold elections.

Opposition rejects the plan

Opposition parties boycotted the constitutional vote and have rejected the changes. Mohamud is pushing for party-based elections to replace the system of electing clan elders, a move critics call a power grab.

Former President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo called the election decision a "dangerous threat to Somalia's statehood and future" on X and urged agreement with all factions first. Former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed warned that a contested process could lead to parallel elections or even civil conflict, according to AFP.

There's no political agreement to hold those elections

— analyst Samira Gaid

Skepticism and security concerns

The government welcomed the dates as an important stage toward reinforcing the country's democratic system and called on all parties to engage peacefully and in good faith. Analyst Samira Gaid told AFP there is no political agreement to hold the elections and said the government's processes are leading to further fragmentation.

Some Mogadishu residents called the announcement one-sided. Resident Omar Said told AFP that announcing a schedule driven by one side and rejected by the opposition is effectively declaring a new conflict. Mohamud told Al Jazeera this month that Somalia still faces significant security challenges, though al-Shabab has no presence in major cities.