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UN urges Somali leaders to chart way forward on 2021polls
The United Nations (UN) office in Somalia has called on the country’s leaders to reach consensus on a way forward on holding a universal vote as early as March 2021.
In a statement issued in Mogadishu on Sunday, the UN lauded the National Independent Electoral Commission (NIEC) chairperson Halima Yarey for presenting electoral options to realise direct voting for Somalis.
“Now that NIEC chairperson has presented electoral options, the UN in Somalia urges broad consultation among Somali political leaders to reach consensus on a way forward,” said the UN.
It said the planned three-day meeting of the national government and the Federal Member States which is slated for early July is a good next step for the leaders to agree on the electoral process.
The UN statement comes after the poll body said on Saturday it will not be possible to hold elections this year due to technical and logistical issues including the security situation in the country.
Halima Yarey, chairperson of NIEC said the poll body requires 13 more months to prepare a credible poll where Somalis will have an opportunity to take part in ‘one person, one vote’ election for the first time since 1969.
“The commission needs to register citizens, register political parties and the candidates,” Yarey told parliament in Mogadishu.
She said the earliest Somalia can go to the polls is March 2021 if Parliament approves the manual voter registration option which she said could take only nine months as opposed to biometric registration which is costly in terms of acquisition and training of staff.
Somalia is preparing for universal suffrage elections, which will be the first of its kind after more than two decades since the outbreak of the civil war that followed the collapse of the government in 1992.
However, the country’s opposition alliance (FNP) on Sunday said the electoral commission has lost public and political stakeholders’ trust and called for the entire commission to resign.
FNP said they will not accept even a day of extension of the election date and blamed the NIEC, saying it’s blended with the leadership of the country.
The electoral commission defended itself, saying it’s an impartial institution and urged all stakeholders to stand with the commission to make this historic election a reality. -Xinhua
The Criminal Investigation Department has launched an investigation into a viral video in which a woman identified as Arianna Naomi Mackey, an American citizen, claims she was kidnapped by five masked men, whom she alleges were officers of the Ghana Police Service on snap-check duty in Accra, and robbed her of some amount of money.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the video was recorded at a hotel in Accra where Ms. Mackey and two companions were staying.
According to the police, investigation also confirmed that they checked out of the hotel on December 5, 2025.Checks at the Kotoka International Airport also disclosed that she left Ghana on the same day.
The Police subsequently contacted the alleged victim to assist the investigation. She indicated to Police that she was out of the country and she could not get the names of the alleged officers nor the number plate of the vehicle they were using.
Police further requested for the contact details of her friend in Ghana, who she said was with her during the time of the incident.
She, however, stated that her friend does not want to be involved in the investigation.
According to the police, she has since deleted the video on her page and further efforts by the Investigators to contact her through WhatsApp calls and messages have proved unsuccessful, as she has declined to respond and later blocked the team.
Meanwhile, efforts are ongoing to secure her cooperation through appropriate diplomatic channels.
The Ghana Police Service has noted that it treats such allegations very seriously and remains committed to uncovering the facts in this case.
The Northern Regional Police Command has arrested three men believed to be part of a kidnapping syndicate responsible for abducting a 42-year-old man in Wapuli, a community in the Yendi District.
The suspects, Haruna Seidu, Amidu Bandi and Osman Bandi allegedly kidnapped the victim and demanded GH¢100,000 from his family for his release.
According to a police statement, officers from the Regional Police Intelligence Directorate were deployed to Wapuli after the incident was reported.
The team conducted surveillance and launched a rescue operation.
On Friday, December 5, 2025, police successfully rescued the victim and arrested the suspects after what was described as an intense exchange of gunfire.
The suspects were later taken into custody and are expected to be arraigned before court.
The Police said the a fourth suspect, who is believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the operation, is currently on the run.
They urged the public to provide any information that may lead to his arrest.
By: Jacob Aggrey
