ADDIS ABABA, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) on Monday congratulated Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on his election as Somalia's president.
In a press statement, Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, congratulated Mohamud "on his historic election" as the President of Somalia, which was conducted by Somalia's Parliament on Sunday.
Mahamat further commended the outgoing President Mohamed Farmajo "for demonstrating strong leadership and statesmanship through his gracious acceptance of the election outcome."
The chairperson of the 55-member pan-African bloc commended all the people of Somalia "for their high display of patriotism" through the orderly conduct of the elections while recognizing the crucial role played by the Somali Security Forces and AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to guarantee security for the entire election process.
He reiterated the continued support of the African Union to Somalia in the country's efforts to deepen democratic governance, promote national reconciliation and restore peace, stability and security.
Somalia's Parliament on Sunday evening chose Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as the country's new president in a third-round runoff in an election that has been delayed for over a year.
The 67-year-old Mohamud, former Somali president from 2012-2017, won 214 votes from lawmakers, defeating incumbent President Mohamed Farmajo, who garnered 110 votes. Mohamud was immediately sworn in after the vote.
The presidential election was held 15 months behind schedule as the COVID-19 epidemic, severe drought, insecurity and differences among Somali leaders postponed the parliamentary elections.
Sunday's vote was held at a heavily guarded airport hangar in the capital Mogadishu, amid threats from the al-Shabab terrorist group.
Police had imposed a curfew and a no-fly zone in the city to prevent attacks by a militant group that has been fighting to overthrow the government. ■