Somalia’s electoral processes remain highly fragile, marked by recurring delays, limited transparency, and low public trust in democratic institutions. Decades after the collapse of centralized governance, the country has yet to implement a nationwide one-person-one-vote electoral system. Instead, participation continues to be constrained by a complex indirect voting structure, ongoing insecurity, deeply rooted patriarchal norms, and the widespread absence of civic education—particularly among young people.

This challenge is especially significant considering that youth account for more than 75% of Somalia’s population. Despite their demographic majority, Somali youth remain marginalized and largely excluded from electoral decision-making, placing the country among those with the lowest levels of youth political participation globally. Although youth-led activism has been steadily growing, their involvement in formal electoral processes remains limited. Even where democratic local elections have been conducted, youth participation has often been symbolic rather than substantive.

At the same time, Somalia faces a growing digital divide that further complicates civic engagement. The country lacks the digital tools and infrastructure necessary to empower meaningful youth participation in democratic processes. High levels of digital illiteracy, limited access to reliable information, and the increasing spread of disinformation continue to undermine democratic progress and public trust in electoral institutions.

Introducing DoorashoKaab: A Civic Technology Solution

In response to these challenges, Bareedo Platform—an initiative committed to strengthening civic engagement and democratic participation—has launched the development of DoorashoKaab, a civic technology platform designed to promote and strengthen meaningful youth participation in Somalia’s electoral processes.

The initiative is supported by AfricTivistes, a pan-African organization dedicated to promoting democracy, digital rights, and civic engagement across the continent. Through this partnership, DoorashoKaab aims to address key barriers to participation, including the lack of accessible civic education, limited youth engagement, low trust in electoral institutions, and the growing problem of electoral disinformation.

DoorashoKaab is envisioned as a digital civic space that will provide accessible voter education, reliable electoral information, and tools for citizen engagement, ensuring that Somali youth are better informed and able to participate meaningfully in democratic processes.

Youth Consultations to Shape the Platform

To ensure that the platform reflects the needs and realities of Somali youth, Bareedo Platform organized four consultation sessions in Garowe, Galkacyo, and Mogadishu in January 2026. More than 80 youth participants took part in the discussions, offering valuable insights on the platform’s features, design, content needs, and accessibility.

These consultations played a critical role in shaping the development of DoorashoKaab. Participants emphasized that the platform should focus primarily on civic education, voter information, and real-time reporting of electoral incidents. In addition, the platform should serve as a central hub for general updates and information related to elections across Somalia, covering both federal and state-level electoral processes.

Key Recommendations from Youth Participants

The youth consultations generated a number of important recommendations that will guide the development of the platform:

  • Accessible Civic Education: DoorashoKaab should prioritize civic education content, voter guidance, and reliable election updates in a simple and understandable format, particularly in the Somali language.
  • Low-Bandwidth Optimization: Given Somalia’s connectivity challenges, the platform must function effectively in low-bandwidth environments and remain accessible in areas with limited internet connectivity.
  • Inclusive Communication Formats: To reach citizens who cannot read or have limited literacy skills, the platform should include simplified election information delivered through animations or audio explanations.
  • Lightweight Content: Participants recommended avoiding large or heavy files such as high-resolution videos that could slow down the platform or limit accessibility.
  • Transparent Resources: Any documents uploaded to the platform—such as election policies, procedures, and guidelines—should clearly indicate their source or owner. The platform should also allow users to report outdated documents.
  • Downloadable Resources: Educational materials, electoral guidelines, and other resources should be downloadable so users can access them offline on their mobile devices.
  • Secure and Confidential Reporting: The platform should allow users to report election-related incidents anonymously or by name, while ensuring that personal information such as names and contact details is not publicly displayed.
  • Youth Advisory Mechanism: Participants recommended establishing a youth advisory committee and discussion forums to further promote citizen engagement and digital innovation in electoral participation.
  • Data and Accountability: DoorashoKaab should publish quarterly or annual bulletins presenting data on platform usage, civic engagement trends, challenges, and improvements. These reports could help inform policymakers and stakeholders about the progress of youth participation in elections.
  • Impartial and Inclusive Governance: To maintain trust, the platform must remain impartial, fair, and accessible to all federal member states. It should avoid influence or manipulation by political actors.
  • Civil Society Ownership: Participants strongly emphasized that the platform should be managed and maintained by Bareedo Platform in collaboration with civil society and youth groups. Transferring full control to government electoral bodies could risk ineffective maintenance, reduced transparency, or potential manipulation of information.

Moving Forward

Bareedo Platform will incorporate the insights and recommendations gathered during the consultations into the ongoing development of DoorashoKaab. The goal is to build a civic technology platform that is accessible, inclusive, secure, and responsive to the needs of Somali youth.

By leveraging digital tools to provide credible information, civic education, and citizen reporting mechanisms, DoorashoKaab has the potential to strengthen democratic participation and rebuild trust in electoral processes in Somalia.

The consultation process was led by a team headed by Mr. Abdirahman Mohamed Hassan, a civic education expert with over 14 years of experience in civic education, community outreach, and electoral processes. His leadership ensured that the discussions were grounded in both practical electoral experience and the realities facing Somali youth today.

As Somalia continues its gradual path toward democratic reform, initiatives like DoorashoKaab demonstrate how civic technology can play a transformative role in bridging the gap between citizens and democratic institutions—particularly for the country’s largest and most dynamic demographic: its youth.

Bossaso, the busies port city of Puntland in Somalia stands at a critical crossroads of opportunity and vulnerability. As one of Somalia’s most important migration hubs along the Eastern Migration Route, it hosts tens of thousands of migrant workers—many fleeing conflict, poverty, or instability from Ethiopia, Yemen, Syria, and several Asian countries. Despite their vital contribution to Bossaso’s economy, migrant workers face significant risks: irregular status, labour exploitation, gender-based violence, wage theft, trafficking, and arbitrary arrest.

In November 2025, Bareedo Platform Somalia, with support from the ILO under the BRMM Programme, launched an intensive series of community awareness workshops aimed at creating a safer, fairer environment for migrant workers in Bossaso. The initiative brought together migrant workers, host communities, employers, officials, CSOs, media actors, and religious leaders in an unprecedented effort to advance migrant rights, strengthen protection systems, and promote peaceful coexistence.

Why These Workshops Matter

Bossaso’s strategic location has made it both a destination and transit hub for migration across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Migrant workers fuel key sectors including construction, health, telecommunications, hospitality, and domestic work. Yet the majority, specially Ethiopian, Yemeni, and Syrian migrants—remain undocumented, leaving them vulnerable to abuse, unsafe conditions, and exclusion from protection mechanisms.

Recent security operations against ISIS/Daesh in the Cal-Miskaad mountains in Bari region of Puntland, have also intensified risks, resulting in mass arrests, deportations, housing bans, and restrictions on movement. These crackdowns, though aimed at extremists, have had unintended consequences that worsened the humanitarian situation for thousands of migrants.

The workshops, held by Bareedo Platform in Bossaso, were designed to counter these challenges with information, dialogue, and shared solutions.

A Multi-Stakeholder Approach Rooted in Inclusion and Participation

Over a series of five community awareness sessions between 11–17 November 2025, Bareedo Platform convened 300 participants across diverse sectors: Migrant workers (regular and irregular), host community members from migrant-dense areas, employers and business owners, government authorities (labour, immigration, police, municipalities), CSOs, UN/INGOs, and human rights actors, media practitioners and influencers, and imams and traditional elders.

Workshops used a multilingual, community-centered approach with Somali, Amharic, Arabic, and English materials to ensure full accessibility.

Techniques included guided group discussions, real-life case analysis, rights education, and collaborative solution-building.

What Participants Learned: Key Insights and Realities

The discussions painted a detailed picture of the migrant experience in Bossaso:

  1. Irregular Status and Lack of Documentation: Most migrants lack passports, work permits, or legal residency—often because fees are unaffordable or because they were recruited through informal channels. This exposes them to exploitation and arrest.
  2. Labour Exploitation and Gender-Based Violence: Workers reported withheld wages, excessive working hours, threats, unsafe workplaces, and sexual abuse—especially among women in domestic and service sectors.
  3. Illegal Passport Confiscation: Employers frequently seize passports to restrict mobility—over 300 cases were recorded in 2024 alone according to the Police.
  4. Housing Bans and Homelessness: Recent government restrictions prohibiting landlords from renting to undocumented migrants as result of the ongoing operation against ISIS/Daesh, have sharply increased housing insecurity in Bossaso. As a result, many migrant workers—especially women and unaccompanied youth—are being pushed into homelessness or forced into overcrowded, unsafe informal shelters, further heightening their exposure to protection risks.
  5. Arbitrary Arrests and Deportations: Security operations against ISIS/Daesh in the Cal-Miskaad mountains in Bari region, led to mass deportations (600+ people), detention of over 150 migrants, and widespread fear among foreign communities.

Breakthrough Outcomes Across All Groups

Despite the scale and complexity of challenges identified, the workshops led to significant progress, demonstrating genuine commitment and meaningful shifts in attitudes across all participant groups:

  • Migrant workers gained a stronger understanding of their rights under Somali and international labour standards, increased confidence to report abuses, and improved awareness of available protection and referral services—particularly those offered through the Migration Response Center (MRC) in Bossaso.
  • Host communities developed deeper empathy for the lived realities of migrant workers and expressed renewed commitment to peaceful coexistence, non-discrimination, and community-level support mechanisms.
  • Employers and government officials acknowledged widespread gaps in labour compliance and pledged to adopt written employment contracts, uphold fair labour standards, end passport confiscation, and strengthen coordination to protect migrant workers’ rights.
  • Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) enhanced their technical capacity to identify, document, and refer cases of exploitation, trafficking, and abuse, while committing to closer collaboration with the MRC, government institutions, and media partners.
  • Religious leaders (Imams and Elders) agreed to integrate migrant protection and dignity into Friday sermons, promote tolerance within communities, and offer mediation in cases of exploitation or conflict.
  • Media actors committed to responsible, ethical, and non-stigmatizing reporting on migration issues, using balanced storytelling and factual coverage to counter misinformation and reduce harmful narratives.

Recommendations Shaping the Way Forward

Participants put forward a set of practical, rights-centered recommendations aimed at strengthening migrant protection systems and transforming the migration landscape in Puntland:

  1. Recognize Bossaso’s exceptionally high concentration of migrant workers and the compounded risks created by ongoing security operations, and allocate sustained attention and resources accordingly.
  2. Implement long-term, multi-channel awareness campaigns, and institutionalize continuous awareness-raising through radio, social media, community dialogues, mosques, schools, and workplaces to ensure consistent messaging and widespread understanding of migrant rights.
  3. Introduce Temporary Work Permits for Irregular Migrants, and establish flexible, low-cost or fee-waived pathways for documentation to reduce irregularity, prevent exploitation, and enhance migrants’ access to legal protection.
  4. Strengthen institutional capacity of the Ministry of Labour and the MRC, and enhance staffing, inspection capacity, complaint mechanisms, hotlines, and legal aid services to ensure both institutions can effectively respond to labour violations and migrant protection needs.
  5. Mandate standardized employment contracts, and require employers to use Ministry-approved contract templates—translated into Somali and migrant languages—with clear terms on wages, working hours, leave, OSH standards, and explicit prohibition of passport confiscation.
  6. Pursue bilateral labour agreements with Ethiopia, and formalize safe, orderly, and regular labour migration channels to reduce irregular routes, trafficking risks, and labour exploitation, particularly for Ethiopian migrant workers.
  7. Strengthen accountability for employers who violate labour laws, and enforce penalties against employers involved in wage theft, passport confiscation, unsafe working conditions, and informal recruitment practices, ensuring deterrence and improved compliance.
  8. Protect migrants during detention and deportation processes, and ensure fair legal review, humanitarian access, payment of outstanding wages, and due process safeguards for all detained or deported migrants.
  9. Expand Community-Based protection networks, and engage CSOs, youth groups, women leaders, religious leaders, and local media to strengthen early warning systems, promote non-discrimination, and support peaceful coexistence at the grassroots level.

A Call for Shared Responsibility and Long-Term Action

The workshops underscore that protecting migrant workers is not solely a policy issue—it is a shared moral, economic, and societal responsibility. Migrant labour keeps Bossaso’s economy running, yet the systems meant to safeguard them lag far behind. Bareedo Platform’s intervention generated hope, conversation, and commitment, but participants unanimously stressed that ongoing, long-term programming is needed.

Bossaso’s migrant workers deserve safety, dignity, and rights—not fear and exclusion. Through continued collaboration among government institutions, civil society, employers, communities, and international partners, Somalia can build a model for humane, fair, and sustainable migration governance.

#BRMM #SafeMigration #MigrantRightsSomalia #MigrantWorkers #FairRecruitment #DecentWork #Bossaso #Puntland #Somalia

Background

Somalia has one of the world’s largest young populations, with 75 percent of its population under 30 years old. While young people represent the majority in Somali society, continuing unrest, conflict, and socioeconomic and political exclusion have left them with psychological wounds and multiple roadblocks to adulthood.

This leadership training challenge is part of the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Fellowship Program, a flagship project supported by NELIS—Next Leaders’ Initiative for Sustainability. The Fellowship Program aimed to equip one million NexGen leaders and social innovators with the required skills to lead positive and sustainable change in their regions by 2030.

Many young people in Somalia lack the critical thinking and leadership skills necessary to develop into better adults because ongoing unrest and conflict have demoralized them, leaving them with psychological wounds and numerous obstacles to adulthood.

Engaging and empowering young people is a prerequisite for the UN to deliver on its mandate in support of the Somali people. As a result, a number of global and national frameworks shape the UN’s integrated response in support of Somali youth. Youth leadership development is crucial for fostering future leaders and empowering young individuals to make a positive impact in their communities. This proposed training initiative aims to develop effective youth leadership programs by exploring strategies and best practices that can enhance youth’s leadership skills and abilities to inspire positive change in their communities.

Why join the Youth Leadership Program?

Participating in the Youth Leadership Program will equip you with leadership and critical thinking skills, enhancing your ability to influence and contribute to socio-economic development within your local community as a productive and inspired citizen. This leadership program aims to boost your potential to contribute and open up broad network opportunities, while also building your capacity to contribute and implement sustainable community programs in communities.

During the program, you will undergo 3 weeks of extensive training to prepare you for your role as a program facilitator, coach, and change maker. After training, you will have the opportunity to participate in community support initiatives.

Are you a passionate and driven young leader looking to make a difference in your community? Are you between the ages of 18 and 30, living in Somalia,  who is highly motivated to cause change in their lives and the lives of their communities?

Join the leadership program in collaboration with the OML-MENA Fellowship Program, NELIS: The Next Leaders’ Initiative for Sustainability. The MENA Fellows Leadership Challenge is proud to announce that applications are now open for the Youth Leadership Program in August–Sep 2024. This transformative initiative aims to equip young people with the skills, knowledge, and creativity needed to drive social change and foster entrepreneurship leadership in their communities.

Eligibility

  • Age 18–35
  • Have an interest in personal development and leadership.
  • Traits of a problem solver
  • Having a personal vision
  • Passion to make a positive change in the community, particularly pastoralist communities
  • Have access to a basic smartphone or laptop and possess basic computer skills.
  • Demonstrated leadership and passion for community development and entrepreneurship.

How to Apply

Click this online link https://forms.gle/ybKjb83YWT8b1hRY6 and fill it with all required information regarding your interest in the participation of the program.

Deadline for Application: 30 Aug 2024

Bareedo Platform conducted a one-day workshop on Building Inclusive Democracy for Displaced People in Somalia on Monday, March 4. A total of 48 participants from different regions of State of Puntland in Somalia, including some from Las’anod City (Khaatumo Administration), representing local nonprofit organizations, and some from government institutions, participated in the workshop.

Mr. Sharmarke Yusuf and Mr. Abdikhayr Hussein, two senior members of Bareedo Platform Somalia, facilitated the workshop.


“This is a platform developed by People Powered, the Global Hub for Participatory Democracy, and a consortium of local and national organizations, which the Bareedo Platform includes. There are about six courses on the platform, and all are available. But we are going to focus on and study the course Building Inclusive Democracy for Displaced People.” Said Mr. Sharmake Yusuf

The participants introduced the online platform which they only needed to sign up by clicking the green button, put their basic information in the box, and start the learning journey.


The participants were introduced to and engaged in online self-paced training courses collected on a knowledge platform developed by People Powered and a consortium of local and national organizations where all relevant stakeholders and individuals can learn more about how to make participatory and deliberative processes more inclusive. The participants engaged in one of the six courses on the online learning platform, which is “Building Inclusive Democracy for Displaced People.”


The Bareedo team provided the participants with guidance as they signed up and registered at Building Inclusive Democracy Online Training, following a brief informative introduction session about the online learning platform courses and how to access the platform. Through a well-designed online Displaced Course, the participants learned about displaced people worldwide, defining the specific terminologies for the familiarity of the course. The participants learned the term “displaced,” which stands for different groups of people.

Throughout the introduction of the course, there were particular examples of Somalia’s displacement of people, related policies, and national strategies, as well as participants engagement in participatory discussions regarding the strategies to include in participatory and deliberative processes.


The participants were asked to present their understanding and experience of the term displaced. Mr. Abdikhayr Hussein, who has strong experience in displacement and has worked in the sector, briefly shared the different groups that fall under the term displaced.

“There are about three displaced groups: IDP, refugees, and immigrants. The first group is the internally displaced people, who are people forced to leave their homes but who remain within their country’s borders. The second group of refugees are people who have lost the protection of their country of origin and who cannot or are unwilling to return there due to a well-founded fear of persecution. The third group are immigrants, who are people living in a country other than that of their birth.” Said Abdikhayr Hussein


As part of the course contents, they also discussed the challenges and promising solutions, including the case studies regarding the inclusion of displaced people in decision-making and the possible outcomes of the total inclusion of displaced people. The participants discussed the deliberative process of total inclusion of displaced people in decision-making and the barriers and roadblocks that limit the participation of displaced people in the decision-making process and social services. 


Furthermore, the participants reflected on the possible solutions that exist in the country. Comparing those possible solutions presented by the course, the participants highlighted that there is a need for local reintegration through providing proper shelter and resettlement, as the displaced communities in Somalia are continuously affected by droughts, flooding, and also recent conflicts in the Sool region. They shared and received an informative process for implementing successful interventions when addressing building inclusive democracy for displaced people.


Participants were most interested in key strategies to promote the inclusion of displaced people, challenges and solutions in democratic strategies, and ensuring active participation, where the participants have had time to practice and discuss the implementation of an impactful inclusive democracy for displaced people and explore practical insights that empower them to undertake a lasting impact. 


The participants discussed the most common challenges that face displaced people in Somalia and highlighted some points, including the fact that displaced people in Puntland have a shortage of food, healthy access, education, and shelter. The participants emphasized that the most vulnerable displaced people are living in congested and informal settlements on the outskirts of the cities.


There have been some important comments regarding the platform and the course raised by the participants, which Bareedo Platform will share with People Powered.


After completing the online course, the participants were able to download the completion certificate for the courses, indicating their completion of the displaced course on the platform.

As of April 11, 2021, Somalia has recorded 12,406 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 618 deaths, since March 2020. People aged 60 years and older account for more than 80 per cent of the total deaths. 300,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines arrived in Somalia in March 16, 2021; 195,000 doses were delivered to Mogadishu, 40,000 to Garowe and 65,000 to Hargeisa according to UNICEF. Additionally, UAE delivered 10,000 doses to Puntland in March 2021 and also China brought around 200,000 doses of their vaccine in Mogadishu waiting for redistribution.

The COVID-19 vaccines arrived in a critical time as Somalia is now experiencing a new wave of the epidemic, ten times deadlier than the first wave in 2020. This is the largest increase in a month since May-June of 2020 when the epidemic peaked at between 500–600 cases a week in Mogadishu, and even now expanded to Galkacyo, Hargeisa, Burco, Bosaso and Erigavo, cities with sizeable population. In addition to this, there is a critical shortage of medical oxygens in main hospitals throughout the country, catching the attention of public with continued condemnation against the health authorities for their poor handling and carelessness.

As per the announcements made by the national health authorities, this first consignment of vaccines will be used to vaccinate an estimated 300,000 frontline workers, elderly and people with chronic health conditions and also Police and Custodial Corps who are working for community on daily basis. These special priorities have been taken to ensure health and other essential services continue to function and deaths among people at risk, especially the elderly, reduced. The question is how far the vaccination goes on? What is the level of uptake?

Concern over uneven distribution

The 300,000 doses delivered in Somalia in March 16, 2021 were distributed to 6 members states and Mogadishu; 100 to Mogadishu, 65,000 to Somaliland, 40,000 to Puntland, 30,000 to Galmudug, 30,000 to Jubaland, 20,000 to South West and 15,000 to Hirshabelle. This allocation raised concerns over uneven distribution of vaccines at national level in the first days and even continued within local levels. For instance in Puntland, people voiced their concern over uneven distribution of vaccines within Puntland; for example Bosaso received more allocation than combination of Sanaag and Sool regions.

The president of Somaliland lunching the COVID-19 vaccination in Somaliland on March 24, 2021 in Hargeisa.

Uptake of COVID-19 vaccines slowed by misinformation

As COVID-19 has spread across Somalia, so has misinformation marring uptake of the vaccination. The first shipment, Oxford/AstraZeneca arrived in a time of some countries temporarily suspended use of this vaccine after a small number of recipients developed blood clots. This has been the biggest factor that fuelled the misinformation and myths against the vaccination, thus contributing to slow intake of the vaccines in particular the elderly who are among the first target groups, planned to receive vaccination in the first round.

Ministry of Health Somalia addressing the safety concerns of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine after widespread concerns over vaccine safety

Furthermore, there are other negative speculations saying that vaccines contain the live virus that causes COVID-19, which means that COVID-19 vaccine can make the recipient sick with COVID-19. These are propped up by death of several persons who have died after taking the vaccine, although some of them have already had the virus.

People are less equipped with the tools necessary to identify and prevent the spread of misinformation and fake news. The public awareness rising, sharing clear content and fact-based advice with the public, to fight circulating conspiracies and misinformation is inadequate, thus leaving all these negative rumours to flourish and making acceptance of the vaccine difficult.

Poor follow up and monitoring of side effects

The COVID-19 vaccines have been developed with unprecedented speed, because of the pandemic and the need to get these vaccines out quickly to save lives, and emergency use authorisations have been given to these vaccines, which means that they are still under observation. There are still systems in place in countries that are following up people that are recording and reporting any serious adverse events or other events. There have been several persons died after taking the vaccine and some who got severe complications, and all these are happening while the national health authorities in Somalia are taking limited monitoring for any unexpected side effects following COVID-19 vaccine use.

Uncertainty of second dose

Most of the vaccines that are being developed need at least two doses, and two different types of COVID-19 vaccines; Oxford/AstraZeneca and Sinovac, are delivered in Somalia. The interval between the doses depends on which vaccine and the health authorities were required to inform public about when the second dose is due, whether two doses from two different manufacturers can be taken and assurance of availability of such vaccines. Although WHO recommended second dose to be taken with the same vaccine, people uncertain whether the current two types of COVID-19 vaccines will be available when the second dose is due.

Inadequate prevention measures

With the increasing caseload of COVID-19, little prevention measures were taken due to fear of that implementation would be less effect; a scenario learned from lockdowns in 2020. There have been measures limited to closure of schools implemented in Mogadishu and Somaliland, while all other life routines are going normal; coffee bars and restaurants are full of people and social gatherings are unchanged without observing any social distancing or wearing protective materials.


The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Bareedo’s policies.