Somalia reelects former President Hassan Mohamud for the second time after defeating incumbent

Former Somalian President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has been reelected as the country’s new president by legislators on Sunday in the troubled Horn of Africa nation.

The election which had suffered several postponement since February 2021, saw Mohamud who served as Somalia’s president between 2012 and 2017, defeat outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed who was his closest rival in the contest in the capital, Mogadishu, amid a security lockdown imposed by authorities to prevent rebel attacks.

In the marathon poll which involved 36 candidates and was broadcast live on state TV, Mohamud defeated Mohamed by165, more than the number required to be declared winner.

The 66-year-old Mohamud is the leader of the Union for Peace and Development (UPD) which commands a majority of seats in both legislative chambers.

A member of the Hawiye clan, one of Somalia’s largest, Mohamud is regarded by some as a statesman with a conciliatory approach and well-known for his work as a civic leader and education promoter, including his role as one of the founders of Mogadishu’s SIMAD University.

In his campaign, he had promised that his government would be inclusive, acknowledging the mistakes of his previous government which faced multiple corruption allegations and was seen as aloof to the concerns of rival groups.

The new President will now be saddled with several challenges inherited from his predecessor which include an increasing number of attacks from the al-Qaeda-backed al-Shabab group and a devastating drought that threatens to drive millions into famine.