Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo”, who once served as prime minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, is now became President following the elections held on 8 February 2017.
The elect-president, who studied in the United States of America, holds dual Somali-U.S. citizenship. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma has congratulated Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo”.
The chairperson commends the incumbent President, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, for his service to his nation and for gracefully accepting the election outcome in a manner that exemplifies good statesmanship.
The Chairperson equally lauds the Somali people for exercising their democratic rights and applauds the commendable work of the Independent Electoral Teams at the federal and state level managing the highly contested Presidential and Parliamentary elections amidst attempts by terrorists to discredit and disrupt the electoral process.
The Chairperson acknowledges and appreciates the resilience of Somalis as they defied all odds and fully supported and facilitated the electoral process, which will serve as a catalyst to tackle the numerous priorities including security, the ongoing drought, reform of the security sector; acceleration of the constitutional review; consolidation of the federal member states; reconciliation and resolution of many local conflicts around the country.
The Chairperson pays tribute to AMISOM and Somali security forces for protecting electoral sites around the country and for fulfilling an arduous job in very difficult circumstances. This is a clear testimony of the determination, professionalism and effectiveness of the security strategy that have been implemented during this electoral process.
The Chairperson reaffirms the AU’s commitment to work with the leaders and people of Somalia as they embark on the huge task of rebuilding their country.