Former PM declared new president

Somalia’s MPs have elected a Somali-US national as the country’s new president in a vote held in an aircraft hangar. Ex-Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo” Mohamed beat President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in two rounds of voting. The vote was held at the heavily guarded airport complex in the capital, Mogadishu, as the rest of the […]

Somalia’s MPs have elected a Somali-US national as the country’s new president in a vote held in an aircraft hangar.
Ex-Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo” Mohamed beat President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in two rounds of voting.
The vote was held at the heavily guarded airport complex in the capital, Mogadishu, as the rest of the country is not safe.
Traffic was banned and a no-fly zone imposed over the city to prevent attacks by militant Islamists. Despite this, suspected militants fired mortar rounds close to the venue on Tuesday night.
Somalia has not had a one-person one-vote democratic election since 1969.
Mr Mohamed’s election is part of a lengthy and complex process to help the East African state rebuild its democracy and achieve stability.
A total of 21 men ran for the presidency, but the number was reduced to two after two rounds of voting.