What Somaliland’s presidential election means for Somalia
Supporters dance and sing during a rally by Somaliland's ruling Kulmiye party in Hargeisa, the capital of the self-declared republic of Somaliland in northern Somalia, on May 27, 2021.
The Somaliland region goes to the polls on Wednesday in its sixth presidential election. The region, legally a part of Somalia, unilaterally declared independence in 1993 but has not been recognised by any other sovereign State.
The elections signal its continued ability to change regimes at the ballot box, allowing civilians rather than soldiers to decide who leads them.
