Moderate Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was elected Somalia's president Saturday, a development welcomed by many as a chance to break the political deadlock and curb raging civil violence. Hundreds of Mogadishu residents took to the streets to express their support for the young cleric, who vowed to build an inclusive government, reach out to hard-line groups and bring Somalia back into the regional fold.
"My government will come up with an adequate plan to overcome the difficulties the nation is facing," Sheikh Sharif said after taking the oath on the Koran during a ceremony at the Kempinski hotel in neighbouring Djibouti. "I am extending a hand to all Somali armed groups who are still opposed to this process and inviting them to join us," he said moments earlier, after comfortably defeating Maslah Mohamed Siad Barre in the second round of voting.
"Very soon, I will form a government which represents the people of Somalia. We will live peacefully with east African countries and we want to cooperate with them," he said. He also praised outgoing prime minister Nur Hassan Hussein, who pulled out of the contest after the first round, for his efforts in promoting reconciliation talks sponsored by the United Nations.
The new president, in his mid-forties, was one of the main targets when Ethiopian troops invaded in late 2006 to remove what they saw as an extremist Islamic movement on their doorstep. The new president is often regarded as one of the only men whose clan base and political skills are solid enough to bring about change in the war-ravaged country.