World leaders have been tweeting congratulatory messages to Somalia’s new President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud for his win in Sunday’s election.
Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who served as Somalia’s president between 2012 and 2017, won after a third round of voting by Somalia’s 328 MPs. He was sworn in soon after.
The outgoing president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has urged Somalis “to support and pray for the success” of the new president.
The prime minister of neighbouring Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, has said he looked forward to working with the new president on regional interests.
Somalia-born US congresswoman Ilhan Omar said the Somali people were all winners in the elections.
“The country needs all of you to work together as it moves forward from decades of instability,” she tweeted.
The European Union ambassador to Somalia also tweeted her congratulations.
The UK’s Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford, said she was looking forward to her government “continuing its close work to support on building stability, tackling al-Shabab and supporting those affected by the devastating drought” in Somalia.
The country’s ambassador to Somalia also tweeted her congratulations.