Hassan Shaikh Mahmoud has been elected the President of Somalia by the country’s parliament. For now, it is hard to see his appointment as anything but a case of form over substance.
Somalia is a failed state that until now has been run by a transitional administration kept in power by international forces from the African Union, among others. The militant group, Al Shabab, has been driven from the capital, Mogadishu, but has a significant grip on other parts of the country. Pirates, who have disrupted shipping around the Horn of Africa, continue to operate freely from its shores.
But, there is reason to hope that the appointment of Mahmoud will be the start of real, permanent change for the better. It is the culmination of a United Nations-backed transitional process that only reached this point because of the support of Somalia’s influential, although often warring, traditional leaders. His election may be a sign that they are beginning to understand the importance of reaching peaceful political consensus and constructive cooperation.
There have also been reports of tentative economic activity in Mogadishu in the wake of the eviction of Al Shabab. Any effort to build social and political stability in the country and the capital must be underpinned by economic growth and job creation.
Mahmoud, who is reportedly better known as a community activist than a politician, cannot be expected to run — and heal — the country on his own or even with the help of a still-to-be-appointed cabinet.
The international community will have to continue with its high-level of direct support for the country by delivering essential services and providing security to its people. This will give Mahmoud time to forge widespread, popular support for a national government. To do this, he will have to ensure that there is credible, transparent governance and that the meagre resources of the country are fairly utilised for the benefit of all its people and not be held hostage to powerful interest groups. Anything less will simply slow Somalia’s return to the community of nations.
