borkena Ethiopian News
February 9,2017
Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo is elected as new president of Somalia. According to report by The Associated Press, the new president is a US dual citizen and has served as prime minister before.
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It was law makers who elected the new president in a mood of fear of attack from Islamist extremist group,Al-shabab, indicates the report by AP. Members of upper and lower houses of the parliament cast ballot at a former air force base in the capital. It was heavily guarded. As well, there was a security lockdown of the international airport, the report added.
The new president declared that it will be a “new era of unity.” He is cited as saying,”This victory belongs to the Somali people,” in a speech after his oath of office.
Democracy and fighting corruption, added the new president, are on top of his agenda.
Ethiopian state media reported that prime minister Hailemariam Desalegne congratulated the new president. However, analysts claim that the administration in Addis Ababa is not too happy about the outcome of the election in Somalia.
The political situation in Somalia has been chaotic with no stable and strong central government for well over twenty five years. Linguistic and religious homogeneity was marred by,claim political observers and analysts, by a strong sense of clan based tribalism.