Somalian Legislators Vote Ex-President Sheikh Hassan Mohamud Back Into Power

Posted by: Eninu William in African News May 16, 2022

Former Somali president Sheikh Hassan Mohamud has been voted back into power by legislators in the country’s Parliament. He defeated the incumbent, President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed.

Mohamud served as the president of the war-torn country in the Horn of Africa between 2012-2017.

In the tightly contested election that had over 36 candidates, Mohamud garnered 165 votes which were sufficient for him to clinch the seat.

They carried out the election in the capital Mogadishu amidst a very tight security lockdown in fear of the rebels using the opportunity to launch deadly attacks. They also televised live this election on national TV.

On declaring him the winner, Mohamud’s supporters poured onto the streets defying the curfew. They fired guns and cheered on as they celebrated their candidate’s win.

The election is apparently a momentous win. Many also expect it to bring the year-long crisis that the government brought when it failed to hold an election after Mohamed’s term ended in February 2021.

Mohamed who is also popularly referred to as Farmaajo because of his appetite for the Italian cuisine accepted defeat. Cameras pictured him raising Mohamud’s hand whom parliament swore in immediately.

The new leader while addressing those around at the Mogadishu airport guarded by African Union peacekeepers said that bygones should just be bygones.

“It is indeed commendable that the president is here standing by my side,” Mohamud said, referring to the former leader, who had sat with him as ballots were counted.

“We have to move ahead, we do not need grudges. No avenging,” the new president said.

Mohamud 66 is the president of the Union for Peace and Development party, which has the majority members in all of the Legislative chambers.

He is a member of the Hawiye clan one of the country’s largest. Plus, they highly regard him statesman with a reconciliatory approach.

During the campaigns, he acknowledged the shortfalls of his previous government. He vowed to correct them and indeed they gave him a second chance.

Sheikh Hassan Mohamud now faces a number of challenges that have always been around. First is the issue of insecurity which has gripped the country apart since the late 1980s.

Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab Islamist militants have also increased their attacks.

Besides, there is the issue of drought too. This has threatened to drive millions of the country’s citizens into a devastating famine.

The United Nations has already warned of the impending catastrophe citing the 2011 crisis. This killed over 260,000 people with half of them children under 6 years of age.

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