Mogadishu votes in first local polls in decades

Somalia residents turned out in droves on Thursday to vote in local elections in the capital Mogadishu -- the first by universal suffrage in nearly 60 years--with the city locked down amid security concerns.

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The east African country is struggling to emerge from decades of conflict and chaos, battling a bloody insurgency and frequent natural disasters.

Long lines snaked outside seven polling stations that an AFP correspondent in the capital visited early on Thursday, with those waiting impatient and excited to cast their ballots.

"This is a great day," Guhad Ali, 37, said, proudly showing his ink-stained finger, proof that he had voted.

"I am so proud that I don't even feel that I'm queuing," said 29-year-old mother of two Shamso Ahmed, who spent hours waiting to cast a ballot for the first time in her life.