
Thursday December 12, 2024

Hargeisa (HOL) – Somaliland's newly elected President, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi Irro, was sworn in as the breakaway's president at a ceremony in the capital, Hargeisa, on Thursday.
The event was attended by officials from Ethiopia, representatives from the United States and United Kingdom, and Taiwan's envoy.
Irro, a 69-year-old opposition leader and former parliamentary speaker, takes office after winning over 50% of votes in a tightly contested election. He succeeds Muse Bihi Abdi, who praised Somaliland's democratic maturity during the handover.
In his inaugural speech, Irro pledged to prioritize national unity, good governance, and the peaceful resolution of conflicts in regions like Sool, Sanaag, and Togdheer. He also committed to strengthening Somaliland's military to secure its borders and pursuing international recognition for the breakaway territory.
"Today, we open a new chapter to build a united and democratic Somaliland, rooted in good governance, justice, and the rule of law," Irro said.
Muse Bihi Abdi highlighted Somaliland's progress in peaceful governance, saying, "Somaliland has proven its democratic values, where power lies with the people, ensuring national interests prevail over individual ambitions."
Somaliland declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but remains unrecognized internationally. Despite this, it has worked to establish democratic governance and maintain stability in a volatile region.
The inauguration coincided a few hours after Somalia and Ethiopia agreed on a joint declaration to resolve their dispute over the breakaway Somaliland region and land-locked Ethiopia's push for sea access.
The two neighbouring countries in the Horn of Africa have seen tensions escalate since Ethiopia struck a deal in January with Somalia's breakaway region of Somaliland to lease a stretch of its coastline for an Ethiopian port and military base in exchange for diplomatic recognition, although Addis Ababa never confirmed this.