当我们想到索马里时，饥饿的儿童、大规模的饥荒和兜售步枪的男人浮现在我们的脑海中。但在过去的几周里，整个国家都在庆祝。男人、女人和孩子们在街上载歌载舞，整个国家自发地过了一个全国性的节日。市民们在庆祝近十年来第一任总统的当选。索马里人希望前内政部长阿卜迪·卡西姆·沙拉·哈桑能够帮助这个国家扭转局势，为这个饱受战争蹂躏的国家带来和平。这一次，他们的梦想可能实现了。索马里历史上有政治问题导致国家垮台的历史。自从1991年独裁者穆罕默德·西亚德·巴雷被赶下台后，索马里一直没有中央政府。派系集团使这个国家四分五裂，索马里成了混乱的代名词。哈桑承诺结束暴力，为这个拥有700万人口的国家带来某种经济稳定。 His campaign took off in May following a conference that was the 13th attempt at finding peaceful resolutions to Somalia's woes. Though the international community was skeptical of the conference, it involved 2,000 Somali elders, religious leaders and business leaders. It was the first of its kind to include non-faction leaders, bolstering the country's efforts to bring peace to the nation.\nIn August, a 225-member assembly was inaugurated with representation from each of Somalia's four main clans. An alliance of smaller clans was given the right to name 29 members, and the body was later expanded to 245 members to placate subclans who felt unrepresented. In another pivotal move, representatives of Mogadishu's business community pledged their full backing to the new assembly.\nSo far, support for the parliament has been unanimous. \nAfter the announcement of Hassan's victory, the sound of heavy machine gun and anti-aircraft fire immediately reverberated around Mogadishu. \nOnce the new government moves into the country, it will face incredible challenges. The assembly faces the daunting task of persuading faction leaders opposed to the peace process to respect it, recruit the militiamen who cruise the streets into a new national security force and then begin collecting taxes. \nYet it's encouraging to see Somalia rebuild. The country -- once plagued with problems -- has a bright future, but it can't do it alone. International support will be vital for the country. The United States should offer additional aid to Somalia and neighboring countries should offer aid to Somali businesses.\nPerhaps then Somalia can return to some sort of normalcy.
