Somalia: Muse Bihi declared winner in Somaliland elections Nov. 21

Event

On Monday, November 21, Somaliland's electoral commission declared Muse Bihi, the ruling party candidate, winner of the November 13 presidential elections. According to local sources, Bihi, from the Kulmiye party, won 55 percent of votes cast. The results appear to have been accepted by the international community, though it is unclear if the main opposition Waddani party will accept them as well.

While the elections took place without major incident in most of Somaliland, heightened security measures and political rallies, as well as consequent transportation disruptions, are to be anticipated in the coming days. Political violence or terrorist activity cannot be ruled out.

Context

Some 60 election observers from two dozen countries monitored the elections and agreed with the electoral commission that while there were some irregularities during the vote, there were not enough to undermine the validity of the results. However, some violent protests by Waddani supports occurred on November 16 in Burao, Erigavo, and the capital city of Hargeisa. At least 11 people were killed during the demonstrations.

Somaliland is a self-declared independent state, recognized by the international community as an autonomous region of Somalia. The region previously held presidential elections in 2003 and 2010.

Advice

Individuals present in the country are advised to expect increased security measures and to avoid all demonstrations and political events as violence may flare up without warning. There is also an elevated risk of terrorist activity following the election period (as during any high-profile event in Somalia); remain vigilant and report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities and/or your local security manager.

On a general note, some Western governments advise their citizens against all travel to Somalia due to extremely poor security conditions.