US welcomes Somalia's new Islamist president

The United States welcomed moderate Islamist cleric Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed's election as Somali president Saturday and vowed to support his efforts to restore stability in the Horn of Africa nation.

In a statement issued by its embassy in Nairobi, the US government congratulated the former opposition leader on his victory.

"President Sharif has been a strong proponent of the Djibouti process and has worked diligently on reconciliation efforts in Somalia," it said referring to UN-sponsored peace talks in Djibouti, where Saturday's vote was held.

"We urge President Sharif to reach out to the broad spectrum of Somalis who reject violence and extremism in forming a new government," the statement said.

Outgoing prime minister Nur Hassan Hussein, long a darling of the international community, pulled out of the race after the first round.

"The United States looks forward to cooperating with President Sharif and his broad-based government on these efforts to establish democracy and achieve peace in Somalia," the US statement added.

Sheikh Sharif is also the head of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), an organisation that briefly controlled large parts of Somalia in 2006.

The ICU's leadership was sent into exile when Ethiopia -- the previous US administration's top regional ally -- launched a military invasion into Somalia to remove what it saw as extremist Islamic rule on its doorstep.

Sheikh Sharif then formed an Islamist-dominated opposition umbrella group and last year led its more moderate wing into peace talks with the transitional government, then headed by Hussein.
 

Source:AFP