Somalia elects its president in the shadow of the Shabaabs

Somali lawmakers started voting today to choose the next president from nearly forty candidates. The volatile country of the Horn of Africa is seeking political stability against the backdrop of the uprising of radical Islamists Shabaab, while fears that drought could cause a famine with serious consequences deepen.
Deputies and senators vote under a tent set up in the perimeter of the Mogadishu airport, where the security forces are present. A curfew was imposed in the capital and air flights were also canceled.
The outgoing head of state, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as Farmajo, is running for re-election, something none of his predecessors managed to achieve. In the running are two of his predecessors, Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud (2012-2017) and Sharif Cheikh Ahmed (2009-2012), as well as his former prime minister (March 2017-June 2020), Hassan Ali Khaire. Among the candidates also a woman: it is the former foreign minister and deputy prime minister Fawzia Yusuf Adan.
The elections were supposed to take place at the end of President Farmajo’s term in February 2021. But the process was slowed down by political disputes and controversies.

Source: Ansa

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