Somalia’s Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education has ordered the temporary closure of all educational institutions in Mogadishu, citing preparations for upcoming local council elections.
In a statement released Monday, the ministry said schools, institutes and universities will be closed from Dec. 21 to Dec. 25, 2025, to allow for direct, one-person, one-vote elections expected to take place in the capital.
The order was formally communicated to school and university administrators across the Banadir region, the ministry said.
The ministry added that educational institutions designated as polling stations must cooperate fully with the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, which is overseeing the elections.
Officials said the days lost to the suspension will be added back to the 2025–2026 academic calendar.
The elections are moving forward amid continued political disagreement over Somalia’s electoral framework. Opposition groups, as well as the regional administrations of Jubbaland and Puntland, have raised objections to the current election process.
