Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was declared the winner of Somalia’s Presidential election on Sunday to become the country’s new president.
Mohamud beat the incumbent Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo by 214 votes to 110 in the third round of voting, in an election that lasted several hours.
This is Mohamud’s second stint at the presidency, having served in the position from September 2012 to February 2017, when he lost to Farmaajo in the election held at the time.
The long awaited elections were held more than a year later than they were scheduled, as differences rocked the Horn of African nation over various issues surrounding the vote.
Farmaajo was seen as unlikely to be re-elected after he was reported to have lost support in last month’s parliamentary vote.
As votes continued to be counted after the third round, cheers and ululations rang around after Hassan opened up an unassailable lead against his opponent.
The two leaders were seen shaking hands several times in a show of satisfaction with the process, a sign many Somali nationals will draw admiration for even as the country looks to put its political squabbles in the past.
Hassan faces the challenge of uniting a nation that has seen political differences widen over the past few months, as well as the threat of al-Shabaab, which continues to stage attacks across the country.
