<p>A former Somali president voted out of power in 2017 has been reelected to the country's top job after he defeated the incumbent leader in a protracted contest decided by legislators in a third round of voting late Sunday.</p>.<p>Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who served as Somali president between 2012 and 2017, won the contest in the capital, Mogadishu, amid a security lockdown imposed by authorities to prevent deadly militant attacks.</p>.<p>The first round of voting was contested by 36 aspirants, four of whom proceeded to the second round. With no candidate winning at least two-thirds of the 328 ballots, voting then went into a third round where Mohamud won by a simple majority.</p>.<p>Members of the upper and lower legislative chambers picked the president in secret balloting inside a tent in an airport hangar within the Halane military camp, which is protected by African Union peacekeepers.</p>.<p>Mohamud's election ended a protracted electoral process that raised political tensions — and heightened insecurity concerns — after President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's mandate expired in February 2021 without a successor in place.</p>.<p>Mohamed and Mohamud sat side-by-side Sunday, watching calmly as the ballots were counted.</p>.<p>Celebratory gunfire rang out in parts of Mogadishu as it became clear that Mohamud had defeated the man who replaced him five years ago.</p>
<p>A former Somali president voted out of power in 2017 has been reelected to the country's top job after he defeated the incumbent leader in a protracted contest decided by legislators in a third round of voting late Sunday.</p>.<p>Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who served as Somali president between 2012 and 2017, won the contest in the capital, Mogadishu, amid a security lockdown imposed by authorities to prevent deadly militant attacks.</p>.<p>The first round of voting was contested by 36 aspirants, four of whom proceeded to the second round. With no candidate winning at least two-thirds of the 328 ballots, voting then went into a third round where Mohamud won by a simple majority.</p>.<p>Members of the upper and lower legislative chambers picked the president in secret balloting inside a tent in an airport hangar within the Halane military camp, which is protected by African Union peacekeepers.</p>.<p>Mohamud's election ended a protracted electoral process that raised political tensions — and heightened insecurity concerns — after President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed's mandate expired in February 2021 without a successor in place.</p>.<p>Mohamed and Mohamud sat side-by-side Sunday, watching calmly as the ballots were counted.</p>.<p>Celebratory gunfire rang out in parts of Mogadishu as it became clear that Mohamud had defeated the man who replaced him five years ago.</p>