The international community on Monday (May 16) hailed the election of Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud as head of Somalia, calling on him to take charge of the problems of this poor and unstable country in the Horn of Africa, paralyzed for more than one year by a deep political crisis.
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Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud, 66, already president between 2012 and 2017, was elected Sunday by Somali parliamentarians, facing outgoing head of state Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, says Farmajo.
This election, which was initially to be held no later than February 2021, puts an end to more than a year of procrastination and political crisis around the organization of the ballot in this country bruised by the insurrection of radical Islamists Shebab and threatened by famine due to a drought of historic proportions.
“Orderly, peaceful election”
Somalia's international partners have consistently called on the authorities to conclude the electoral process to focus on these priorities.
The UN on Monday congratulated the new president, as well as the Somali political and security authorities "
for having ensured an orderly, peaceful and secure presidential election
".
In a statement, the UN Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) also praised Farmajo for "
honouring Somali tradition by immediately accepting the election results and expressing support for his successor
".
The head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell has called on Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud to appoint a government "
as soon as possible
", "
as Somalia engages in major reconciliation efforts, particularly between the federal and regional levels, the construction of state, development and peacebuilding
”.
Leaders and diplomats from the African Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and the East African organization Igad, as well as Somalia's direct neighbors (Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti), welcomed this election.
"
Consultation and Compromise
"
Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud is Somalia's first elected two-term president.
Although his first was marred by accusations of corruption and infighting, the victory of this former peace activist from the powerful Hawiye clan, the majority in the capital, was greeted with gunshots in Mogadishu.
“
I know that the new president does not have the best record, but we hope that he will change this time
,” explained a resident of the capital, Abdinasir Mohamed, on Monday.
"
This country seriously needed a change of leadership to avoid bloodshed (...) that's why this election was so important
," said Habiil Ali, who lives in Wadajir district in Mogadishu.
In his inauguration speech, the new president called for unity after more than a year of political conflict.
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President–Prime Minister rivalry
“
We must move forward and never backward, we must lick our wounds
,” he said, promising to implement his campaign slogan “
A peaceful Somalia, at peace with the world
”.
In April 2021, MPs' announcement of a two-year extension to Farmajo's term sparked fighting in Mogadishu, rekindling memories of decades of civil war that had ravaged the country after 1991.
The last few months have also been marked by a fierce rivalry within the executive between Farmajo and his prime minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, whom he had charged with organizing the elections.
"
As president, Hassan was open to consultation and compromise, essential characteristics that have been lacking in Somali political discourse of late
," Omar Mahmood, an analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank, told AFP.
Waiting for the IMF
According to the international community and analysts, the tensions have benefited radical Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab Islamists, who have been leading an insurgency in the country for 15 years.
They have intensified their attacks in recent months, notably carrying out a double attack in the center of the country on March 24 (48 dead), then a major assault against a base of the African Union force (10 dead according to a report official).
The Somali authorities are also awaiting a response from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the continuation of a major financial assistance program, scheduled to end automatically on May 17 if a new administration is not in place by that date. .
The government asked at the end of April to postpone this deadline by three months.
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The country is also facing one of the worst droughts in decades.
Humanitarian organizations fear a famine similar to that of 2011, which killed 260,000 people.