International community welcomes Mohamud victory in Somalia
Mogadishu, May 16 (EFE).- The international community on Monday welcomed Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s presidential victory in Somalia and hoped his mandate will bring peace and stability to the troubled Horn of Africa country.
In a Twitter post, the United Nations assistance mission in Somalia (UNSOM) congratulated Mohamud “on his election as the country’s tenth president.”
The UN “looks forward to working with him and his team to advance national priorities, such as peace, security and stability, in the coming years,” it added.
Tiina Intelmann, the European Union’s ambassador to Somalia, also congratulated the newly elected head of state, after she said over the weekend that she was confident the new president would “advance peace, stability, prosperity, sound governance.”
Moussa Faki, the African Union Commission chief, sent his “warmest congratulations” to Mohamud.
British minister for Africa Vicky Ford congratulated Mohamud on Twitter and said the United Kingdom “looks forward to continuing its close work to support Somalia on building stability, tackling Al-Shabaab (terror group) and supporting those affected by the devastating drought.”
Turkey’s ministry of foreign affairs wished Mohamud “success during his term,” stressing the “great importance of peace and stability in Somalia.”
From neighboring Ethiopia, prime minister Abiy Ahmed said that he looks forward to “working closely” with the Somali president.
Mohamud, 66, emerged victorious on Sunday against the 35 candidates who were running for the position, including incumbent Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo, who had replaced him in power in 2017.
“I promise to build a Somalia that is in harmony with itself and is in harmony with the world,” said Mohamud, who has become the first Somali president to be re-elected.
Mohamud received 214 of the votes cast by the nation’s 54-members senate and 275-member lower house in an election that had been repeatedly postponed since 2021 amid political disputes.
Somalia has been in a state of upheaval since 1991 when the toppling of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre left the country without an effective government and vulnerable to Islamic militants, warlords and criminal groups.EFE
ma-pa/smq/mp
