Tue Nov 19 08:54:23 UTC 2024: ## Somaliland Opposition Leader Wins Presidential Election
**Mogadishu, Somalia – November 19, 2024** – Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, also known as Irro, of the Waddani Party, has won the Somaliland presidential election, the electoral commission announced today. Irro secured over 50% of the vote, defeating incumbent President Muse Bihi Abdi of the Kulmiye Party, who garnered just over 30%. The election, originally scheduled for 2022, was delayed twice due to funding issues and other logistical challenges.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, maintains its own government, currency, and security forces despite lacking international recognition. The region has cultivated a relatively stable political environment compared to Somalia. Recent political tensions have arisen from Somaliland’s agreement with Ethiopia granting it access to the Indian Ocean in exchange for recognition, a move that Somalia views as an infringement on its territorial integrity. Irro’s victory marks a significant shift in Somaliland’s political landscape.
First Piper 