What Hassan Sheikh has in store for Somalia during his first 100 days in office

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Newly elected Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has outlined some of the fundamental issues he needs to fix within the next 100 days within the Horn of Africa nation, just a few days after he was declared the winner of Sunday's presidential election.

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who served as 8th president between 2012-17, made a return after resoundingly defeating his successor Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed better known as Farmajo in a titanic presidential poll after months of delays.

In an interview with Voice of America Somali Service, Hassan Sheikh outlined a number of measures his administration will put in place to restore hope for Somalis within the country and around the world. The president is likely to be sworn in on Sunday.

The incoming president said within his first 100 days in office, he wants to focus on security, political stability and economic recovery, and to put in place the legal framework for achieving these objectives, as well as completing the debt relief process.

Somalia has for a long time struggled with the economy, but the outgoing administration tried to reduce the debt by almost half to about $600 million with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund playing a huge role in recent months.

Security and political instability have directly impacted the slow economy, with Al-Shabaab militants often extorting businesses across the country. These two aspects are the elephant in the room given that they have directly derailed economic recovery in the country.

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said he wants to reform security agencies and federalize them. He said securing Mogadishu relies on securing the two neighbouring regions, Lower Shabelle and Middle Shabelle. This indicates that his government will likely take the fight against Al-Shabab in these two regions.

Al-Shabaab militants have a huge presence in these two regions and it's just a fortnight ago they terrorized security bases manned by the African Union Mission Forces within Middle Shabelle. At least 30 Burundian soldiers were killed.

Outgoing Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble urged Hassan Sheikh to avert the culture of political entrepreneurship where a group of politicians consolidates the powers of the government. PM Roble argued that this political exercise is destructive to attaining political stability.

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud thanked U.S. President Joe Biden in a tweet Tuesday, calling the United States “a reliable partner in our quest to stability and fight against terrorism.”

U.S. forces have been working for years with Somali forces in their efforts to contain al-Shabab, described by U.S. military and intelligence officials as the al-Qaida terror group’s wealthiest and most powerful affiliate. But in December 2020, former U.S. President Donald Trump ordered about 750 U.S. forces in Somalia to withdraw, instead of having them fly in for periodic engagements.

GAROWE ONLINE