Presidential elections: Somalia requires strong leadership to steer country to safety

Mogadishu [Somalia], March 28 : After a year of conflict between the current President and Prime Minister during the election process, strong leadership is required to steer Somalia to safety.
Federico Giuliani, writing in Insideover, said that as the federal presidential elections in Somalia reach a long-awaited finish, the challenges increase with the Al Shabab trying to destabilize the nascent democracy.
Currently, one in four Somali people faces hunger caused by extreme drought, and the United Nations (UN) projects that 4.6 million Somalis will not have enough food by May 2022 as the horn of Africa faces its worse drought in 40 years.
A young Somali population requires a dynamic leader who can set the course for peace and development while businesses and investors seek security to continue investing in a country ravaged by decades of civil war, said Giuliani.
Among the front-runners for the presidential post is Ali Faqi. Since 2013, Faqi has swapped a career in research and science to serve his country, first as the Chief of Staff for Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as Farmajo, later as Somalia's Ambassador to the EU.
He was his country's delegate to the horn of Africa peace accords. Eventually, he moved to be the speaker of the South West State. In the new Parliament currently being elected, Faqi now is a recently elected member of the lower house representing the South West State, the article said.
As Somalia works toward electing a new President it is men like Ali Faqi that will define the future of their country while they vote for a head of state, said Giuliani.
This current government has many achievements, including the eradication of piracy, but the struggle is long ahead. The achievements have been somewhat marred by the conflict between the President and the Prime Minister in defining the electoral process.
"The conflict between Somalia and Alshabab cannot be resolved militarily, it requires a political solution. Senseless killings need to stop before a political agreement can be negotiated," said Faqi, commenting on the violence in Somalia.
While many technocrats have thrown their hat into the ring, including the outgoing President, Faqi hasn't made any declarations or endorsements yet. He remains a convinced patriot, in the service of Somalia, reported Insideover.
Meanwhile, dozens of people were killed Wednesday in attacks in the city of Beledweyne, including a member of the Somali parliament. Several more people died when militants opened fire at an airport in Somalia's capital.
As per the leader of Somalia's Hirshabelle, Ali Gudlawe, there are 48 confirmed dead and 108 injured.
Separately, two gunmen opened fire at Mogadishu's main airport on Wednesday, killing at least six people before the gunmen were shot and killed by security guards.