I am a Somali father in my forties. Throughout my life, I have never voted, nor have I ever been voted for. Similarly, neither my father nor my mother ever participated in an election. In today’s modern world, this may be hard to believe, as most of my peers have not experienced such a situation.
This reflects just a small part of the citizenship rights I lost due to the prolonged state collapse in my country.
Today, for the first time, I have registered to vote. God willing, I will soon be casting my ballot to elect the leaders of my district administration.
It does not matter to me who wins or which political agenda prevails. What brings me immense joy is reclaiming even a small piece of my citizenship rights that have been absent for so long.
This registration marks the gateway to other rights that still remain out of reach for citizens like myself. I hope life will grant me the opportunity to recover those rights as well.
I am fully aware that this journey has not started under perfect conditions. Yet I am also confident that a better day will come, God willing. After all, as the saying goes, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
I hold great hope that both I and my children will one day fully partake in that bright future, God willing.
This motivation—this vision of a beautiful, hopeful future—is what inspired me to register to vote today.
To some, my registration might seem like a small step. But it was not achieved easily. It is the culmination of a long and difficult journey to rebuild the statehood we once lost.
I attribute reaching this milestone to the collective efforts of all those who contributed to the national struggle, giving particular credit to the current leadership, who have overcome significant obstacles to make voter registration in Mogadishu a reality.
A Message to My Fellow Somali Citizens:
Dear compatriots, voter registration is the starting point of your right to vote. It ensures that you are no longer a bystander in shaping your own future. It offers your children the hope of a better life than the one you live today. It puts the power of leadership into the hands of those most deserving.
Therefore, do not waste your energy on the fleeting tides of day-to-day politics. Move forward and embrace your role as a responsible citizen.
Remember:
Today, you will see people opposing a process they may defend tomorrow, and those supporting it today may oppose it in the future. Neither is to blame — this is simply the nature of political life.
Thus, dear citizen, follow your own convictions:
Register to vote, and then freely use your vote — to oppose those you distrust and to support those you believe in.
Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Abdirahman Yusuf Al-Adala
