Somalia’s president progressed to the next round of the nation’s presidential elections, though his bid to become the nation’s first leader to be reelected faced a strong challenge from a regional leader.
President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, also known as Farmajo, and the head of the semi-autonomous oil-rich Somali region of Puntland, Said Abdullahi Deni, will be the top two candidates in the second round of voting, according to results announced Sunday in the capital, Mogadishu. Deni won the first round with 65 votes, compared with 59 for Farmajo, while former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud garnered 52 and ex-Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire 47.
Voting took place inside a heavily guarded airport hangar in the city amid security fears. The government has been struggling to put down a more than decadelong insurgency by the Islamist-militant group al-Shabab, which continues to claim lives in deadly attacks.
In addition to stabilizing the security situation, the incoming president will also have to deal with the impact of one of the worst droughts in decades that’s contributing to surging food prices.
As voting got underway, the capital’s streets were almost empty amid a tight curfew. In the run-up to the election — a secret ballot involving hundreds of lawmakers chosen by clan representatives — tensions between the president and Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble increased, with both men attempting to curb each other’s powers.
Former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and the only female contender, former deputy Prime Minister Fawzia Yusuf Adam, failed to progress to the second round.
Sunday’s election had been scheduled for February 2021, but was delayed because of a lack of funding, insecurity stemming from an Islamist insurgency, and disagreement among the nation’s leaders.
