BELEDWEYNE, Somalia — September 30, 2026 — Two civilians were reportedly killed and several others wounded when Somali government forces dispersed demonstrators protesting the Hirshabelle electoral process in Beledweyne on Wednesday, according to reports received by this newsroom.
The accounts said security forces used live ammunition to break up the gathering. The wounded were reportedly taken to medical facilities in the city.
Residents had gathered to oppose the election process, which they described as one-sided. The protest ended after government forces dispersed the crowd, according to the reports.
The demonstration took place as voting was under way in Hirshabelle and Galmudug for local council and state assembly seats. Somalia’s electoral commission said polling had opened in 10 districts in Hirshabelle and 11 in Galmudug.
The reported deaths mark a serious escalation in the election dispute in Beledweyne, the capital of Hiiraan region. The protest brought political opposition to the electoral process into the streets on the same day that voting began.
There was no immediate information on whether anyone had been arrested, whether polling locations in Beledweyne were affected, or whether further demonstrations were planned. The reports available to this newsroom did not provide names or other details about the people killed or wounded.
Tensions over the election have been building in Hiiraan for several weeks. Politicians, elders and other community figures have called for an agreement on political representation and power-sharing before elections proceed in the region.
On September 29, Hawadle elders warned that officials representing the Hirshabelle administration would not be allowed to land at airports in Hiiraan until a political agreement was reached. Their warning came a day before the scheduled vote and added to the pressure surrounding election preparations.
The dispute is tied in part to the distribution of senior positions within Hirshabelle, which comprises Hiiraan and Middle Shabelle. Political figures in Hiiraan have called for greater representation in the state administration and for local grievances to be addressed through an agreement.
The Justice and Unity Party has backed incumbent Hirshabelle President Ali Abdullahi Hussein Guudlaawe for another term. Some politicians and elders in Hiiraan have opposed the electoral process and demanded a political settlement before voting proceeds.
The Wednesday ballot covers local councils and seats in the state assembly. The dispute over Hirshabelle’s presidency forms part of the wider political tensions over the state’s leadership and the distribution of senior posts.
Somalia’s electoral commission scheduled the voting for September 30 after revising an earlier timetable. The commission said polling had opened across participating districts in Hirshabelle and Galmudug, but details on the conduct of voting in Beledweyne after the protest were not immediately available.
Residents demonstrating in Beledweyne said they rejected the process as it was being conducted. Their objections reflect calls by local political figures and elders for an agreement on representation and power-sharing in Hiiraan before the electoral process moves ahead.
The reports of casualties could intensify concern over public safety in the city. The available information did not clarify how many people were wounded, the severity of their injuries or which medical facilities received them.
There was also no immediate comment from the federal government, Hirshabelle authorities or the electoral commission on the reported use of live ammunition. No official casualty count had been released by the time this article was prepared.
Beledweyne is the main city in Hiiraan, one of the two regions that make up Hirshabelle. Political disagreements over representation in the state administration have remained a focus of local debate as the election process has advanced.
For residents, the immediate concern following the protest was the security situation and the condition of those wounded. The reports said the injured were transported to medical facilities in the city, but their identities and medical status were not available.
The electoral commission had announced that polling was open in Hirshabelle and Galmudug. It was not immediately clear whether the protest or the reported security response disrupted voting at any polling site in Beledweyne.
The latest developments came after days of calls by Hiiraan politicians and elders for a political agreement. Their objections have centered on representation and the distribution of senior positions within the state administration.
The reported use of live ammunition and the deaths of two civilians add a security dimension to the dispute. The casualty information remains preliminary, and further confirmation from medical facilities or government authorities was not immediately available.
The reported deaths occurred as voting began, amid unresolved disagreement over representation in Hirshabelle. The protest and its dispersal have heightened tensions in Beledweyne, where local political figures and elders have called for an agreement on the electoral process.