The 2022 Somali presidential election

In short

On 15 May 2022, in a Somali Air Force hangar at Mogadishu's airport, the two houses of Somalia's Parliament elected Hassan Sheikh Mohamud President. It took three rounds. The outgoing President, Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed "Farmaajo", conceded, and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud "was immediately sworn in" (UN Security Council, S/2022/665, paras. 2–5).

Al Jazeera reported that Farmaajo's "term ended in February 2021 without an election" (Al Jazeera, 15 May 2022). For the earlier rounds of this system, see the 2017 presidential election and elections in Somalia.

The crisis of 2021

From the UN Secretary-General's report of 19 May 2021 (S/2021/485, paras. 2–10 and 20–21):

• The agreement. The vote was to follow an electoral agreement of 17 September 2020. Three issues stayed open: the electoral bodies, the choice of the "Somaliland" seats, and the vote in the Gedo region of Jubaland.
• Talks without agreement. Summits planned for February and March 2021 did not agree. On 7 April the federal government said talks had broken down and blamed the Presidents of Puntland and Jubaland.
• 19 February 2021. Clashes in Mogadishu between government forces and forces loyal to opposition presidential candidates led to "at least three civilian casualties".
• 12 April 2021. The House of the People passed a Special Electoral Bill that replaced the 2020 agreement with a one-person-one-vote election "to be conducted within two years", and "extended the terms of the Parliament and the President of Somalia by the same duration". Farmaajo signed it on 13 April.
• The opposition. The National Salvation Forum, formed on 20 March by opposition candidates, the Presidents of Puntland and Jubaland and the Speaker of the Upper House, "strongly rejected" the law.
• 25 April 2021. "Fighting broke out in Mogadishu between security forces loyal to the Federal Government and military personnel with ties to the opposition", after opposition-aligned forces moved into the city from Middle Shabelle.
• The reversal. On 27 April the Prime Minister, Mohamed Hussein Roble, and the leaders of Galmudug, Hirshabelle and South West opposed the extension. On 1 May the House of the People rescinded the bill, and Farmaajo handed responsibility for the elections to the Prime Minister. A disengagement agreement followed on 5 May.

Choosing the Parliament

• Indirect voting. Al Jazeera described the model: "state legislatures and clan delegates pick lawmakers, who then choose the president" (Al Jazeera).
• Gedo. Two rival sets of members had been chosen for Gedo, at Garbahaarrey and at El Wak. On 8 May 2022 the Speaker of the House of the People, Adan Mohamed Nur "Madobe", recognised the El Wak members, "allowing the presidential elections to proceed" (S/2022/665, para. 3).
• Women. The process "failed to deliver on the 30 per cent quota". Women won 20 per cent of House of the People seats, down from 24 per cent in 2016, and 26 per cent of Upper House seats. In all, women held 67 seats, against 80 in 2016 (same source, para. 27).
• Attacks during the voting. Al-Shabaab bombed a Beledweyne restaurant on 19 February 2022 and, on 23 March 2022, attacked the Mogadishu airport area and killed the MP Amina Mohamed Abdi and dozens of others in Beledweyne (Arab News, AFP, 24 March 2022). See Al-Shabaab's attacks during the 2022 elections.

The vote, 15 May 2022

• The candidates. Six candidates withdrew shortly before voting, "which left 33 candidates, including 1 woman" (S/2022/665, para. 4). News reports gave 36 candidates, counting before the withdrawals (Al Jazeera).
• Security. Six mortar rounds were fired at the airport on election day. Four landed about 900 metres from the hangar (S/2022/665, para. 18).

The round-by-round count, as reported by Garowe Online (Garowe Online, 15 May 2022):

The third-round count of 214 to 110 is also given by other outlets (The Star, Kenya, 16 May 2022).

After the vote

• The handover. The UN called the election "peaceful and transparent" and "broadly welcomed by Somali stakeholders". Hassan Sheikh Mohamud took full authority on 23 May and was inaugurated on 9 June 2022 (S/2022/665, para. 5).
• 15 June. He named Hamza Abdi Barre Prime Minister (same source, para. 8).
• A second term. Al Jazeera wrote that he became "the first person to be elected president twice" (Al Jazeera, 18 May 2022).

Who suffered?

• People of Mogadishu displaced in 2021. The UN reported 200,000 people displaced around Mogadishu since 15 April 2021, within 250,000 displaced in Banaadir and two other areas (S/2021/485).
• Civilians in the February 2021 clashes, with at least three casualties (S/2021/485).
• Residents of Wadajir district. Rockets fired on inauguration day, 9 June 2022, hit a residential area; "up to three civilians were reportedly killed" (S/2022/665, para. 19).

Sources differ

• The number of candidates. The UN gives 33 after six withdrew. News reports give 36.
• The length of the delay. Al Jazeera wrote on 18 May 2022 that the election "had been delayed for about two years". Farmaajo's term ended in February 2021 and the vote was held in May 2022.
• The 2021 extension. The House of the People passed it as a step toward direct elections. The opposition National Salvation Forum rejected it, and it was reversed on 1 May 2021 (S/2021/485).

Read the primary sources yourself

• UN Secretary-General, report on Somalia, S/2021/485 (19 May 2021): PDF.
• UN Secretary-General, report on Somalia, S/2022/665 (1 September 2022): PDF.
• Al Jazeera, "Somalia elects Hassan Sheikh Mohamud as new president", 15 May 2022: article.
• Garowe Online, results by round, 15 May 2022: article.