MOGADISHU, Somalia (NYT) — In a fortified tent guarded by peacekeeping forces, hundreds of lawmakers elected a new president in Somalia late Sunday, capping a violent election season that threatened to push the Horn of Africa nation toward a breakdown.
The selection of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a former president, in Mogadishu ended a bitter election period marred by corruption, a president’s attempt to cling to power and heavy fighting in the streets. Mohamud defeated three dozen candidates after three rounds of voting, including President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, who drew condemnation after extending his term last year.
The vote, which had been delayed for nearly two years, came amid soaring inflation and a deadly drought that has left almost 40 percent of the country hungry. The streets in Mogadishu, the capital, were closed on Sunday, and the police announced a curfew through Monday morning.
Ululations and cheers erupted in the lawmakers’ tent after Mohamud was declared the winner. Celebratory gunfire rang out in parts of the capital, according to witnesses. Earlier in the day, several loud explosions could be heard near the fortified compound where the vote was held, but it did not disrupt the process.
Mohamud, 66, will face a host of challenges in his four-year term, particularly the strength of Al Shabab, a terrorist group that has a firm grip on much of the country.
Somalia’s 16 million people have suffered for decades from civil wars, weak governance and terrorism.
The president was chosen by 328 lawmakers, who were picked by clan representatives. Mohamud garnered 214 votes to Mohamed’s 110. A few votes were spoiled and a sick lawmaker was excused.
Mohamud, who was president from 2012 to 2017, was born in the central Somali region of Hiran. A peace activist and educator, he co-founded a college that became one of Somalia’s largest.
Mohamud succeeds Mohamed, a former U.S. citizen and bureaucrat, who led the country for five years. Mohamed has been accused of cracking down on the opposition and on journalists, fomenting a rift with neighboring Kenya and undercutting the power-sharing model that buttressed the country’s federal system.
The Shabab, who are linked to Al Qaeda, have exploited the political instability and the bitter divisions between security forces to expand and gain strength, experts said. After more than 16 years, the group now has wide powers: extorting taxes, judging court cases, forcing minors into its ranks and carrying out suicide bombings.