Elections: Ex-President of Somalia re-elected head of state

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Ex-President of Somalia re-elected as head of state

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud prevailed against 35 candidates in the presidential election. Photo: Farah Abdi Warsameh/AP/dpa

© dpa-infocom GmbH

In the country on the Horn of Africa, which has repeatedly been shaken by terror, the president was elected in an indirect election. A former head of state prevailed against the incumbent president.

Somalia’s former President Hassan Sheik Mohamud has been elected the new head of state of the East African crisis-ridden country of Somalia.

The 66-year-old politician prevailed against 35 candidates in the election for the highest state office, including the incumbent President Abdullah Farmajo. He replaced Mohamud in power in February 2017. Farmajo’s term in the country, which was also plagued by a drought, expired in February 2021. After the failure of political talks about the modalities of the presidential election and the members of the election commission, he extended his term of office despite heavy criticism.

Since then, there have been repeated tensions and conflicts between numerous interest groups. In the face of repeated attacks, the number of security forces in the capital Mogadishu was increased in the days leading up to the election. In the country on the Horn of Africa, which has repeatedly been shaken by violence and attacks by the Islamist terrorist militia Al-Shabaab, the president was elected in an indirect election by the 275 members of parliament and 54 representatives of the Senate.

dpa

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