Somaliland presidential election: 7 things about why polls in Somalia’s breakaway region matter

Presidential elections in Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, will define the political landscape of the East African region as the region plays a key role in the power dynamics of both Somalia and Ethiopia Women sit down on the floor as they wait to cast their vote during the 2024 Somaliland presidential election, at a polling station in Hargeisa, Somaliland, Wednesday, Nov. 13,2024. Presidential elections in Somaliland will define the political landscape of the East African region as the region plays a key role in the power dynamics of both Somalia and Ethiopia. The 2024 elections are expected to bring an end to two years of political instability in the region Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi of the main opposition Waddani Party campaigned on a platform of democratic reforms and social cohesion, while Faisal Ali Warabe of the Justice and Welfare Party advocates for a national unity government In January this year, Somaliland signed an MoU with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed under which the country would lease land from Somaliland to build a naval base and Ethiopia would use the region’s Berbera port for international trade in return. The country’s delayed presidential elections raised concerns about the stability and consistency of its electoral process Hunger and inflation are one of the top challenges that a new government has to face in Somaliland.