New Islamist President for Somalia
Posted by Amit - 31/01/09 at 05:01:02 amSomalia’s judicious Islamist leader Sheikh Sharif Ahmed won the presidency on Saturday and promised to end conflict in the Horn of Africa nation, make peace with neighbors and rule with honesty and justice. Legislators celebrated, after winning the election around 4 a.m. local time (0100) in a run-off vote during an all-night parliament session and Ahmed smiled and raised his arms aloft.
However, analysts say Ahmed has a real chance of reuniting Somalis, given his Islamist roots and the backing of parliament. But reconciling the country’s 10 million people and stopping 18 years of bloodshed remain an overwhelming task even for him.
Ahmed the headed to the sharia courts movement that brought some stability to Mogadishu and most of south Somalia in 2006, before Ethiopian troops invaded and ousted them from power. He told parliament that, “The conflict in Somalia will be resolved. We are urging our brothers in armed conflict to join us in peace-building,” and also added, “We will govern the Somali people with honesty and justice, and give them back their rights.”
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