Press Statement attributable to Mark C. Toner:

The United States congratulates the people of Somalia on the successful conclusion of their national electoral process.We congratulate Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on his selection as the next President of the Federal Government of Somalia and look forward to working closely with him and a new government.We commend the Somali Security Forces and the African Union Mission in Somalia for their efforts over the past six months to allow the electoral process to unfold in a relatively safe and secure environment.

This transition represents an important step forward for the country.We commend the thousands of Somalis from across the country, including youth and women, who were able to vote in greater numbers than in the 2012 elections, but regret the numerous credible reports of irregularities in the electoral process.We encourage Somalia's new administration to take credible steps to stamp out corruption and to establish strong electoral institutions to enable a free and fair one person one vote poll in 2020.

The United States looks forward to the timely formation of a new government, and to working in partnership with the President and new government to advance reconciliation, drought relief, security, and build the strong institutions to deliver good governance and development for the Somali people.

Distributed by APO on behalf of U.S. Department of State.