Somalia’s newly elected President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was on Thursday officially inaugurated.
In his inaugural speech, Mohamud said that Somalia would not get involved in international rivalries and would stay neutral.
He called for international support to avert famine in the country given that Somalia is currently experiencing one of the worst droughts in 40 years.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Ethiopian prime minister and Kenyan president praised the peaceful transfer of power in Somalia and pledged to work closely with the new government.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by regional leaders such as Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta; Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed; and Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh.
Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal Madbouly and representatives from the UAE, Turkey, Uganda, and Western countries also attended the ceremony.