MOGADISHU, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) has congratulated and welcomed the election of Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the Islamist opposition leader, as Somalia's new president in a vote by Somali parliamentarians meeting in Djibouti City on Saturday.
In a congratulation letter to the new Somali leader received here, Nicolas Bwakira, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, congratulated the new president on his new role.
"It is my greatest pleasure to convey to you, on behalf of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, my warmest congratulations on the occasion of your election as the president of the Republic of Somalia," said the letter.
Ahmed was elected as president after a vote in the enlarged Somali parliament which included nearly two hundreds new MPs from the opposition movement led by Ahmed.
Bwakira said the AU is pleased to have been working with Ahmed's opposition movement, the Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia (ARS), on the peace talks in Djibouti which resulted in the power-sharing deal signed last year.
"The African Union is very proud to have been working very closely with your organization for the last several months and to have its troops on the ground to assist your country in its quest for peace and stability," said Bwakira.
He expressed satisfaction over the new president's "commitment to forming a Government of National Unity" as well as his "determination to invite all those outside the peace process to join".
"I would like to reaffirm the commitment of the African Union to continuing to support your efforts by maintaining and increasing AMISOM troops with the support of the international community," Bwakira said in the letter.
Ahmed will represent his country in AU's 12th summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Sunday.
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