Ethiopia, through an offcial letter released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, congratulated the people of Somaliland for conducting “a peaceful and democratic election.”
Ethiopia also commended Somaliland’s National Electoral Commission (NEC) for conducting a free and fair election. “This process reflects the maturity of Somaliland’s governance and democratic system,” the statement by the ministry said.
In a joint statement released Thursday, international partners who observed Somaliland’s presidential election on 13 November also commended the NEC “for conducting a transparent voter registration and candidate nomination process.”
The presidential race featured incumbent President Muse Bihi of the Kulmiye Party, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi “Cirro” of the Waddani Party, and Faisal Ali Warabe of the UCID Party.
This week’s election is the fourth since Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991. Despite functioning as a self-governing region with its own government, currency, and institutions, however, Somaliland has not gained international recognition.
Although many point at the lack of tangible progress, there are growing speculations that the January 2024, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland, may pave ways for Somaliland’s recogntion.
The MoU aims to grant Ethiopia access to the sea in exchange for potential recognition of Somaliland.
But the MoU has triggered backlach from Somalia, escalating tensions with Ethiopia. In response Somalia has strengthened ties with Ethiopia’s rivals, particularly Egypt and Eritrea, forming what observers describe as an “axis against Ethiopia” to pressure Ethiopia to reconsider its position on the MoU signed with Somaliland. AS