In Somalia, a US bureaucrat fights to hold onto power

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Women carry posters with the image of the newly elected Somalian President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed as they celebrate his victory, near the Daljirka Dahson monument in Mogadishu, Somalia February 11, 2017. REUTERS/Feisal Omar

Somalia is weeks overdue for a presidential election. The president’s term has expired without a successor in place. At the center of the crisis is President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, better known as Farmaajo, a US dual citizen whose previous job was as a local bureaucrat. Just four years ago, he was a new hope for the Somali people. This election was supposed to be a triumphant milestone for Somalia, a sign of stability. But instead, there’s a power vacuum that risks spiraling into conflict.