Somaliland Opposition Leader Wins Presidential Election
Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi will be looking to bolster the economy and secure international recognition for Somaliland when he assumes office.
Wadani party presidential candidate Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, also known as Irro, (C) casts his vote at a polling station during the 2024 Somaliland presidential election in Hargeisa on November 13, 2024.
Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, leader of the Waddani Party, is set to take office as Somaliland’s next president. According to provisional results announced by Musa Hassan Yousuf, chairman of the country’s electoral body, Abdullahi won with nearly 64 percent of the vote. He defeated incumbent Muse Bihi Abdi, who got about 35 percent of the vote.
The two, alongside perennial contender Faysal Ali Warabe of the Justice and Welfare Party (UCID), were also the candidates in the 2017 elections. This time around, Abdullahi, also referred to as Irro by locals, won convincingly, although observers had said the outcome was too close to call before the election took place.
Irro campaigned on the premise of uniting the country and revitalizing its economy. The newly-elected president will be looking to improve the cost of living in the country and stabilize its eastern parts following years of armed conflict due to border disputes.
Of huge importance also is the quest for global recognition. Somaliland broke away from Somalia in 1991, three decades after it gained independence from Britain and initially merged with Somalia. Since its self-declaration, no international country has recognized Somaliland, despite its self-governance and being more stable than Somalia, which has been dealing with al-Shabaab insurgents.
Irro has a foundation to build on, as Somaliland is in advanced talks with Ethiopia to exchange port access for its formal recognition. The deal has stalled, though, as it has escalated diplomatic tensions between Ethiopia and Somalia, and Egypt is now also involved indirectly.
The Somaliland-Ethiopia deal received a symbolic boost with Ethiopia’s industry minister Tarekgen Buluta congratulating Abdullahi on his win, and signaling his enthusiasm for the deal to move forward. “The memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two nations holds immense promise, and I believe that with your vision and leadership, it will move from the planning stage to full implementation,” Buluta wrote in an X post.
Several other foreign officials have sent congratulatory messages to Abdullahi on social media, including Turkish parliament member Cemalettin Kani Torun, although his wish for "reconciliation with Somalia” was met with pushback. The U.S. embassy in Somalia congratulated the people of Somaliland, stating that “Somaliland’s impressive record of elections and peaceful transfers of power is a model for the region and beyond.”
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Over the course of 2024, 20 African countries will be holding elections. For more election coverage, check out our Election Tracker.
