When Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was elected president of Somalia in 2011, there was much excitement in the Somalian and international community. It was seen as an opportunity for reform and progress in one of the world’s most embattled countries. His efforts for reconciliation and fighting corruption have made him one of the most admired leaders on the African continent, though he and his country still have a long way to go. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

In February 2017, a dual U.S.-Somali citizen defeated incumbent leader Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to become Somalia’s next president. Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo” Mohamed spent much of his adult life in Buffalo, New York, Voice of America reported. He earned degrees from the State University of New York in Buffalo, raised a family there and held various jobs in the New York state government, but kept a hand in Somali politics.

Sources: AlJazeera.com, BBC.com, FT.com, Time100.Time.com, WilsonCenter.org, Telegraph.co.uk, Voice of America

Mohamud is a member of the Abgaal Hawiye clan, but he has eschewed clan politics throughout his presidency

Born in Jalalaqsi, a small agricultural town in central Hiran, Mohamud comes from a middle-class background as a member of the Abgaal Hawiye clan. Throughout his leadership, however, he has refused to become embroiled in clan politics, instead touting national reconciliation and unity.

He was one of the few Somali intellectuals to remain in the country throughout the 21-year civil war

Throughout the Somali civil war, beginning in 1991, Mohamud remained in the country, working as a peace activist and campaigner for education. In fact, he has spent nearly his entire life studying and working within Somalia, with the exception of two years when he traveled to India to attend Bhopal University for a master’s degree in technical education in 1988.

Mohamud has two wives and several children

Some of Mohamud’s children live in Somalia, while others live abroad. He has made it clear that his motivation comes from wanting to build a brighter future for younger generations.

Source: BBC.com

Mohamud’s career as an academic took many forms before he entered politics

Upon his return from the University of Bhopal, Mohamud joined the Ministry of Education and helped oversee a teacher-training program with UNESCO. When civil war broke out in 1991, he joined UNICEF as an education officer, traveling across the country to “see the magnitude of the collapse of the education sector.” Since that time, he helped establish one of the first primary schools in Mogadishu since the war broke out.

Source: BBC.com

His administration was the first to be recognized internationally for more than two decades

After Mohamud’s election, international faith in the Somali government rose significantly, and his administration was the first to be recognized by the world community. Soon after taking office, he was able to elicit foreign aid commitments worth more than $2 billion, and hope remains high for his administration to turn Somalia, wracked by years of war and terrorism, into a functioning society.

Early in his career, he made a name for himself helping resolve clan disputes

In 1997, Mohamud made a name for himself when he helped resolve the infamous “Green Line” dispute, removing the line that divided Mogadishu into two sections, each controlled by rival clan warlords. This situation had made life extremely difficult and dangerous for city residents and politicians. Mohamud’s political party, the Peace and Development Party (PDP), has made it clear that it will not engage in clan politics, promoting instead a platform of national unity.

Mohamud faces daily assassination attempts

With the presence of the terrorist group Al Shabaab in Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud faces assassination attempts almost daily. The group has carried out a deadly campaign of suicide bombings and targeted attacks since 2011. Mohamud travels with a permanent ring of bodyguards, and even his home has six checkpoints to get through in order to enter. These include questioning and body searches.

He is the co-founder of Somali Institute of Management and Administration University

Mohamud helped establish the Somali Institute of Management and Adminitration in the capital of Mogadishu in 1999, which eventually grew into the country’s premier university. He acted as dean of SIMAD University until 2010, when he began his venture into politics.

Mohamud claims that tangible progress has been made against Al Shabaab, despite its continued ability to operate

While Mohamud does admit that Al Shabaab remains a menace in and outside Somalia, he touts the accomplishment of containing the terrorist group within just two swaths of territory where it continue to operate unfettered. The rest of Somalia remains under government control for the most part, he says, despite intermittent attacks on officials and civilians.