The residents of Somalia’s breakaway territory of Somaliland voted on Wedneday in a crucial presidential election that had been postponed for two years.
The vote, Somaliland’s fourth presidential election, comes at a time when political tensions in the Horn of Africa have risen anew.
More than a million people were scheduled to vote at over 2,000 voting places, with approximately 28 international observers dispersed across the country.
President Muse Bihi Abdi of the ruling Kulmiye Party is seeking a second term after seven years in government, during which time he has advocated for Somaliland’s international recognition.
Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi of the main opposition Waddani Party ran on a program of democratic reforms and social harmony, while Faisal Ali Warabe of the Justice and Welfare Party supports a national unity government.
Somaliland, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991, has signed an agreement with neighboring Ethiopia to provide it access to the Indian Ocean in exchange for recognition.
This heightened political tensions with Somalia, which accuses Ethiopia of threatening its territorial integrity.
