Turkey’s continued support has touched the hearts and minds of the Somali people, newly elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said Tuesday.
“This support is quite visible and tangible,” Mohamud told Anadolu Agency (AA) noting that they are extremely pleased about Turkey’s support in the fields of economy, security and education.
The newly elected president, who is the first person in the country to be elected president for a second time, continued by saying that he will prioritize security in the new period.
Mohamud said Turkey provides high-level training for the Horn of African nation’s security forces.
“Turkey provides very competent security officers by training not only in Turkey but here in Somalia and equipping, providing all necessary tools to implement what they have learned in Turkey,” he said.
He added that Turkey has a “very unique position towards the hearts of Somalia.”
‘Most challenging issue in Somalia: security’
Touching on his priority, Mohamud said: “Today, the most challenging issue in Somalia is the security.”
He said the fight against al-Shabab, the terrorist group that emerged with the collapse of the Islamic Courts Union that was established after the civil war, will continue.
Mohamud said that despite all the steps taken for the welfare of the people, Somalia could not achieve the success he had hoped for in this area.
They do not want to repeat the mistakes made in the past and the security problem is also fed by the inadequacy in other areas, he added.
Political reconciliation in Somalia
The newly elected 66-year-old president underlined the importance of political reconciliation.
“In every election, there are losers and winners. What is important after the election is we have to do some sort of healing process where the losers and winners sit together, discuss and share the future,” he said.
Promising to listen to all segments of Somali society, Mohamud said they wanted to open the political space, which was narrowed and closed in recent years.
He said: “It is all about, again, moving forward about the reconciliation, not the social reconciliation but the political reconciliation. Putting the contentious issues in place and asking the people to discuss freely and fair.”
Political stability, constitution among priorities
He underlined that the most important issues after the security are political stability and building a democratic state, Mohamud said: “Political stability means building the foundation of a democratic state, finishing the constitution, establishing electoral laws and the political party systems, political party laws, local governance system.”
“And all these must be an agenda that is consensually agreed among Somali people,” he added.
Regarding the exit plan of the African Union Mission to Somalia, which has been serving in the country for years and includes nearly 20,000 African soldiers, he said that the African Union forces planned to leave the country long ago but were not successful.
Noting that African Union forces have done a lot for Somalia and have sustained significant casualties, Mohamud said that after the step-by-step construction of the security system in the country, a security transfer will be possible in a short time.
Turkey congratulates new president of Somalia
A statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that it was pleasing to see that the presidential elections in Somalia held on Sunday have been completed successfully.
“We congratulate H.E Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and wish him success during his tenure,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
“We attach great importance to the peace and stability of Somalia, with which we have deep-rooted historical ties, and hope that the results of the elections will be auspicious for the friendly and brotherly people of Somalia,” it added.
“Turkey will continue to stand by the people of Somalia and to support the Federal Government of Somalia to establish security, stability and prosperity in the country in this new period.”
Source: Daily Sabah
