Mogadishu (Dawan Africa) – A 26-year-old public transport driver, Hussein Yusuf Bered, was shot dead on Monday by a local official in the Gubadley area, south of Mogadishu, after refusing to comply with a forced voter registration order.
Hussein, who drove a four-wheel-drive Land Cruiser commonly known as “Leyla Alawi,” was ordered to transport passengers from Dhusamareb to the district headquarters for voter registration. When he declined, he was shot with a pistol by a security official in Section Four in Dalsan neighborhood, Gubadley District. Witnesses say he died instantly. The suspect remains at large and has not been arrested.
“Hussein was a father of four children. He never harmed anyone,” said Abdifitah Yusuf Bered, the victim’s brother. “His body is at the police hospital morgue, while the killer walks free. We demand justice.”
Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a vocal critic of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration, confirmed the killing in a public speech during Independence Day celebrations. While not elaborating on the case, he stated: “A one-person, one-vote election cannot be achieved through forced registration,” warning that such practices endanger Somalia’s democratic progress.
Reports indicate that Banadir officials have increasingly used police to pressure citizens into registering to vote. Although the government has not officially mandated registration, sources say Villa Somalia has assigned registration quotas to each district. The incident has intensified public concern over voter coercion and electoral integrity.
