Somaliland's opposition leader has won the presidency of the breakaway region of Somalia, according to election results released Tuesday, an outcome that signalled a rejection of the establishment and a call for change.

The opposition leader of the self-declared republic of Somaliland, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, has won the territory’s presidential election. More popularly known as Irro, he won with 64% of the vote to become Somaliland’s sixth president since it broke away from Somalia in 1991.

A new president, a maritime deal with neighbouring Ethiopia, the election of Donald Trump in the United States: after several political shifts in 2024, the self-proclaimed republic of Somaliland hopes to see progress in its quest to become Africa's newest state.

Western diplomats have urged Somaliland's three presidential candidates and their supporters to accept the election results, expected in the coming days, as vote counting continues. The diplomats said they have visited 30 polling stations in different cities in Somaliland to "reaffirm their support for the democratic process."

By Harun Maruf The Somaliland electoral commission announced Tuesday that opposition leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi “Irro” defeated incumbent Muse Bihi Abdi for the presidency of the breakaway region located on the Horn of Africa.

An opposition leader won elections in the semi-autonomous region of Somaliland, beating incumbent President Muse Bihi Abdi.