Somalia: surprising win for Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a political novice with a background in education and civil society, was elected president of Somalia on 10 September 2012. He faces the monumental tasks of reconstructing the state, building sustainable institutions, addressing state corruption, and managing the threat of Al-Shabaab, which may miniaturise and operate from various locations if its stronghold in Kismayo falls. His success depends on ensuring security to attract the diaspora's help and balancing Western influence with domestic Somali needs.

• President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is a political novice with a background in civil society and education, having founded the Peace and Development Party in 2011 and helped start the Somali Institute of Management and Administration Development (SIMAD).
• The new president faces several critical state-building challenges, including the need to reconstruct the state, establish sustainable institutions, address state corruption, and implement transitional justice processes.
• Al-Shabaab remains a significant threat; while its stronghold in Kismayo is expected to fall, the group is likely to miniaturise and operate across the country, as ungoverned areas in Somalia still exceed governed areas.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2012). Somalia: surprising win for Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/somalia-surprising-win-for-hassan-sheikh-mohamud

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Somalia: surprising win for Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. 2012. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/somalia-surprising-win-for-hassan-sheikh-mohamud.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Somalia: surprising win for Hassan Sheikh Mohamud |date=10 September 2012 |url=https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/somalia-surprising-win-for-hassan-sheikh-mohamud |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2012somalia, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Somalia: surprising win for Hassan Sheikh Mohamud}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2012}, month = sep, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/somalia-surprising-win-for-hassan-sheikh-mohamud}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }