Lebanon is home to an estimated 176,000 migrants, many of them African women working menial jobs. Since the conflict began, many of them have been displaced, facing uncertain futures. Marcus Harton narrates this report from Ethel Bonet in Beirut.
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Gaborone, Botswana — Botswana’s new leader, President Duma Boko, has promised zero tolerance for graft in his administration. The pledge comes as scores of Botswana residents join in youth-led anti-corruption protests, urging the government to prosecute former officials accused of looting public coffers.

Activist Setlhomo Tshwanelang mobilized the protests over alleged corruption within state enterprises.

He said more demonstrations are on the way and the new government must prosecute anyone who stole public funds.

Montshwari Mogopane, an investigator for Botswana’s Directorate on Corruption and Economic Crime, said his office has seen an increase in the number of reported cases of corruption.

“Of course, we have a problem of corruption in the country. This is reflected by the number of cases we receive under investigations,” Mogopane said. “The reports show an increase in the number of cases that we are receiving. There is that need to actually sharpen our swords and fight corruption.”

President Boko said there will be an audit of the state coffers to see if any corruption occurred. His government has reported the country is broke.

Boko told new members of Cabinet on Monday that under his administration, there will be no room for graft.

“There will be no corruption, firstly because I expect that you will uphold the highest standard, and secondly, more clinically, we will put very robust institutions and practices that will ensure that there is no corruption because we have to do it, so that even as we police ourselves, we must always know there are institutions and structures that are exerting influence and providing oversight in ensuring that we all stay on the straight and narrow,” he said.

Boko took office on November 1, after his party, the Umbrella for Democratic Change, defeated the Botswana Democratic Party, which had ruled the country since independence in 1966.

Boko’s predecessor, Mokgweetsi Masisi, maintains he has not been involved in any illegal activity and will avail himself for questioning in case of any investigation against his former administration.
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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.

Independent observers described the election as peaceful. Irro, candidate for the Waddani (National) party captured 63.92% of the vote, compared with Bihi’s 34.81%. A third candidate, Faysal Ali Warabe, received 0.74% of the votes.

The election was originally scheduled to take place in 2022 but was delayed due to political differences.

Bihi, who defeated Irro in the last election in 2017, promised during the campaign that he would respect the results of the election.

Irro ran on a platform of change, promising to create a brighter future for the people of Somaliland, including more work and job opportunities for women.

Somaliland in 1991 declared its independence from Somalia, which views it as a northern breakaway region, not a separate nation.

Its location near Djibouti puts it close to the only permanent U.S. military base in Africa and the first overseas base for China.

Both Bihi and Irro said they hope the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will review policy toward Somaliland. The U.S. and Somaliland do not have diplomatic relations. The U.S. recognizes the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia within its 1960 borders.

Irro recently posted messages of congratulations to Trump after his victory. 

“We Somalilanders are thrilled with your bold policies towards Somaliland and look forward to strengthening the #Somaliland-US Partnership, as the President Aspirant, I look forward to promoting and contributing to a more stable, peaceful, and prosperous East Africa and the Red Sea,” Irro said.

The International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) to Somaliland’s presidential elections said the elections took place in a “mostly calm and peaceful environment where registered voters were able to exercise their right to vote during the day.”

IEOM said it did not observe any serious irregularities or electoral malpractice, although observers noticed procedural and administrative inconsistencies that could be addressed by better training.

The mission said it “identified a number of issues that electoral authorities could address including making sure that the secrecy of the vote is upheld in future elections and that the voter register is updated more regularly and closer to the holding of elections to ensure it is up-to-date.”

“In addition, voters need to be better informed about voting procedures,” the mission added in an assessment of the election.

Who is the new president?

Abdirahman Irro, as he is commonly referred to, was born on April 29, 1955, in Hargeisa, Somalia. After completing his secondary school education at Sheikh high school near Burao town, he moved to Mogadishu for higher education.

He has a diploma from the Somali Institute of Development Administration and Management, and SIDAM/California State University and he earned an MBA from SIDAM/New York State University, according to the Waddani party’s website.

He speaks Somali, English, Arabic, Russian and Finnish, the party said.

In 1981 he was employed by Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a diplomat. During his time there, he worked at the Somali embassy in Moscow, before moving to Finland to live with his family.

He started leading Somaliland community organizations in Finland before he returned to Somaliland in 1999 to join politics. He was elected to the Somaliland Parliament in 2005, and became the speaker for the first democratically elected Parliament, a position he held for 12 years.

In 2012, he co-founded the Waddani political party and was chosen as its first chairman as well as the presidential candidate for the 2017 election.

Following parliamentary elections in 2021, Waddani become the majority party in parliament.

According to human rights lawyer and analyst Guleid Ahmed Jama, the election shows the strength of Somaliland’s democracy.

“After two years of political controversy and election delays that resulted in political violence, the successful completion of the electoral process is good news,” he said.

“However, it does not solve the many problems Somaliland is facing. There are big tasks ahead of the president-elect. I believe a government of national unity can salvage Somaliland and unite the divided and polarized people. The president-elect should not treat this as a win-lose scenario. He should come up with a plan to unite the people.”
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NAIROBI, KENYA — The spread of a mosquito in East Africa that thrives in urban areas and is immune to insecticide is fueling a surge in malaria that could reverse decades of progress against the disease, experts say.

Africa accounted for about 95% of the 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 deaths worldwide in 2022, according to the most recent data from the World Health Organization (WHO), which said children under 5 accounted for 80% of deaths in the region.

But the emergence of an invasive species of mosquito on the continent could massively increase those numbers. 

Anopheles stephensi is native to parts of South Asia and the Middle East but was spotted for the first time in the tiny Horn of Africa state of Djibouti in 2012.

Djibouti had all but eradicated malaria only to see it make a slow but steady return over the following years, hitting more than 70,000 cases in 2020. 

Then stephensi arrived in neighboring Ethiopia and WHO says it is key to an “unprecedented surge,” from 4.1 million malaria cases and 527 deaths last year to 7.3 million cases and 1,157 deaths between January 1 and October 20, 2024.

Unlike other species which are seasonal and prefer rural areas, stephensi thrives year-round in urban settings, breeding in man-made water storage tanks, roof gutters or even air conditioning units.

It appears to be highly resistant to insecticides, and bites earlier in the evening than other carriers. That means bed nets — up to now the prime weapon against malaria — may be much less effective.

“The invasion and spread of Anopheles stephensi has the potential to change the malaria landscape in Africa and reverse decades of progress we’ve made towards malaria control,” Meera Venkatesan, malaria division chief for USAID, told AFP.

More research is needed

The fear is that stephensi will infest dense cities like Mombasa on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast and Sudan’s capital Khartoum, with one 2020 study warning it could eventually reach 126 million city-dwellers across Africa.

Only last month, Egypt was declared malaria-free by WHO after a century-long battle against the disease — a status that could be threatened by stephensi’s arrival.

Much remains unknown, however.

Stephensi was confirmed as present in Kenya in late 2022, but has so far stayed in hotter, dryer areas without reaching the high-altitude capital, Nairobi. 

“We don’t yet fully understand the biology and behavior of this mosquito,” Charles Mbogo, president of the Pan-African Mosquito Control Association, told AFP.

“Possibly it is climate-driven and requires high temperatures, but much more research is needed.”

He called for increased funding for capturing and testing mosquitos, and for educating the public on prevention measures such as covering water receptacles.

Multiplying threats

The spread of stephensi could dovetail with other worrying trends, including increased evidence of drug resistant malaria recorded in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Eritrea.

“The arrival of resistance is imminent,” said Dorothy Achu, WHO’s head of tropical and vector-borne diseases in Africa. 

WHO is working with countries to diversify treatment programmes to delay resistance, she said. 

A new malaria variant is also evading tests used to diagnose the disease. 

“The increased transmission that stephensi is driving could potentially help accelerate the spread of other threats, such as drug resistance or another mutation in the parasite that leads it to be less detectable by our most widely-used diagnostics,” said Venkatesan at USAID.

Another added challenge is the lack of coordination between African governments. 

Achu said WHO is working on “a more continental approach”. 

But Mbogo in Kenya said “more political will” was needed. 

“We share information as scientists with colleagues in neighbouring countries,” he said. “But we need to reach the higher level. We need cross-border collaborations, data-sharing.”
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dubai/washington — The U.S. special envoy to Sudan traveled to the African country for the first time on Monday to seek an increase in the flow of aid to millions of people in need and an end to a devastating war.

Tom Perriello, who was named Washington’s envoy for Sudan in February, traveled to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, the de facto capital for the army-led government.

It marked the first visit to the country by a senior U.S. official since the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out in April 2023 and the U.S. embassy was evacuated.

“We feel an enormous amount of urgency to end this crisis and to ensure that we can … help to get food and medicine and life-saving support to the 20 million people plus that are in need,” a State Department official said before the trip.

The U.N. says more than 25 million people — half of Sudan’s population — need aid as famine has taken hold in one region and more than 11 million people have fled their homes.

Perriello met with Sudan’s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan as well as humanitarian, government and tribal leaders, a statement by the country’s sovereign council said.

In a meeting the council said was “lengthy, comprehensive, and frank,” the two men discussed ways to deliver humanitarian aid and a political process to end the war.

“The U.S. envoy presented several suggestions which the head of the sovereign council agreed to,” the statement said.

U.S.-mediated talks in Geneva earlier this year failed to achieve progress toward a cease-fire as the army refused to attend, but did secure promises from the warring parties to improve aid access.

The war erupted more than a year ago amid a power struggle between the army and the RSF ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule.

Perriello discussed “the need to cease fighting, enable unhindered humanitarian access, including through localized pauses in the fighting to allow for the delivery of emergency relief supplies, and commit to a civilian government,” a State Department statement said.

While the U.S. would continue to pursue a more comprehensive cease-fire and negotiations, “right now, I think there’s a really key opportunity to build on the expansion of humanitarian aid,” the State Department official said, highlighting the need for relief corridors to the most battle-ravaged areas including al-Fashir, Sennar and parts of the capital Khartoum.

Sudan’s sovereign council said last week it would extend a temporary opening of the Adre border crossing with Chad, which aid agencies say is a vital corridor for food and other supplies to areas of the Darfur and Kordofan regions at risk of famine.

The State Department official said Washington was concerned that the number of foreign actors beginning to engage in the conflict was growing, adding that there has been an increased number of mercenary fighters from the Sahel arriving to fight with the RSF as well as other actors, including Russia and Iran, playing a role with the army.

The visit came as the RSF continues revenge attacks in eastern El Gezira state and a campaign to take over the army’s last Darfur stronghold, al-Fashir.

In a news conference in Nairobi, an RSF representative said they were still open to peace but doubted the army’s willingness.

“They do not listen to any language but that of the rifle, and so we will continue to talk to them in the language they understand,” said Brigadier General Omar Hamdan.
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The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT has sparked debate in higher education, raising questions about ethics and integrity in teaching, learning and knowledge creation. In South Africa, some academic institutions are taking a proactive approach, integrating AI into their curricula. Experts say this step is not only innovative but also helps level the playing field among students. Zaheer Cassim reports from Johannesburg.
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JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday lives should not be put at risk in a standoff between police and hundreds of illegal miners stuck underground in a disused mine shaft and the miners should be recovered safely. 

The police have blocked miners’ supplies of food and water to force them out and arrest them for illegally entering the abandoned mine in North West province in search of leftover gold — an issue that has plagued South Africa for decades.  

More than 1,000 illegal miners have resurfaced in recent weeks but police said last week that hundreds could still be underground. Local residents and human rights groups have criticized authorities for blocking their supplies.  

In a weekly newsletter, Ramaphosa said the situation was precarious and could potentially turn volatile. 

“The Stilfontein mine is a crime scene where the offense of illegal mining is being committed. It is standard police practice everywhere to secure a crime scene and to block off escape routes that enable criminals to evade arrest,” he said. 

Ramaphosa urged the police to respect the miners’ rights and not put their lives at risk and said his government would work with the mining industry on the issue of illegal mining. 

“The police will carry out their duties and responsibilities to bring the illegal miners to the surface safely,” he said. 

Illegal mining has thrived in South Africa through small-time pilfering and organized criminal networks, costing the economy billions of rands in lost income and royalties. 

It was unclear if those still in the mine were unwilling or unable to get out. Public broadcaster SABC said that volunteers had brought 12 miners to the surface since last Wednesday. 

 
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LIBREVILLE, Gabon — Voters in Gabon overwhelmingly approved a new constitution, authorities said Sunday, more than one year after mutinous soldiers overthrew the country’s longtime president and seized power in the oil-rich Central African nation.

Over 91% of voters approved the new constitution in a referendum held on Saturday, Gabon’s Interior Minister Hermann Immongault said in a statement read on state television. Turnout was an estimated 53.5%, he added.

The final results will be announced by the Constitutional Court, the interior minister said.

The draft constitution, which proposes sweeping changes that could prevent dynastic rule and transfer of power, needed more than 50% of the votes cast to be adopted.

In 2023, soldiers toppled President Ali Bongo Ondimba and put him under house arrest, accusing him of irresponsible governance and massive embezzlement that risked leading the country into chaos. The junta released Ondimba a week later on humanitarian grounds, allowing him travel abroad for medical treatment.

The soldiers proclaimed their Republican Guard chief, Gen. Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, as president of a transitional committee to lead the country. Oligui is a cousin of Bongo.

Bongo had served two terms since coming to power in 2009 after the death of his father, who ruled the country for 41 years. His rule was marked by widespread discontent with his reign. A coup attempt in 2019 failed.

The draft constitution imposes a seven-year term, renewable only once, instead of the current charter that allows for five-year terms renewable without limit. It also says family members cannot succeed a president and abolishes the position of prime minister.

The former French colony is a member of OPEC, but its oil wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few — and nearly 40% of Gabonese aged 15 to 24 were out of work in 2020, according to the World Bank. Its oil export revenue was $6 billion in 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
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Dakar — Senegal on Sunday voted in parliamentary elections, with the new leaders aiming for a resounding majority to see through the promise of ambitious reform that swept them to power eight months ago.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye secured victory in March pledging economic transformation, social justice and a fight against corruption — raising hopes among a largely youthful population facing high inflation and widespread unemployment.

But an opposition-led parliament hampered the government’s first months in power, leading Faye to dissolve the chamber in September and call snap elections as soon as the constitution allowed him to do so.

“I hope that [the ruling party] Pastef will win the elections to gain a majority so that they can better carry out their mandate,” said 56-year-old Pascal Goudiaby, who was among dozens waiting to cast their ballots at a polling station in the capital Dakar.

“The priority is unemployment, young people are facing so much unemployment,” he added.

Faye appointed his firebrand mentor Ousmane Sonko as prime minister, after Sonko’s own bid to run for president was blocked following a three-year deadly standoff with the former authorities.

The pair promised a leftist pan-African agenda — vowing to diversify political and economic partnerships, review hydrocarbon and fishing contracts and re-establish Senegal’s sovereignty, which they claimed had been sold abroad.

The West African country’s roughly 7.3 million registered voters will elect 165 MPs for five-year terms.

Analysts say Senegalese voters have historically confirmed their presidential choice during parliamentary elections, and the Pastef party is the favorite to win.

“I think that whoever you gave your confidence to in the presidential election, you need to renew your confidence in him so that he can achieve what he started,” said 56-year-old voter Toure Aby.

“We want life to be less expensive for the Senegalese”, she added. “Everything’s expensive: water, electricity, food.”

‘No room for violence’

Voters are continuing a long democratic tradition in Senegal, widely seen as a stable outlier in a coup-plagued region.

Prime Minister Sonko cast his vote in the morning in the southern city of Ziguinchor, calling for calm.

“Democracy is expressed in peace and stability, and I believe that in a democracy there is no room for violence,” he said.

Sonko spent three weeks on the campaign trail promising projects and investment in the regions he visited, while applauding patriotism and national sovereignty.

Reminiscent of his years as a fiery opposition leader, he had called for vengeance after attacks against his supporters, but later urged restraint.

Despite the heated tone, clashes were sporadic in the run-up to the vote.

Though some agreements have been reached between coalitions, the opposition remains fragmented.

Former president Macky Sall is leading an opposition grouping from abroad, breaking with the political restraint normally adopted by ex-leaders in Senegal.

He left power in April after triggering one of the worst crises in decades with a last-minute postponement of the presidential election.

Former prime minister and presidential runner-up Amadou Ba, and Dakar mayor Barthelemy Dias, are also heading coalitions.

Bleak picture

The opposition has accused the new government of inaction, amateurism and a desire to settle scores with the previous administration.

Unemployment stands at more than 20 percent and scores continue to risk their lives every month in a bid to reach Europe by boat.

The government said an audit of public finances revealed a wider budget deficit than previously announced, with the International Monetary Fund suspending an aid program pending the audit’s review.

Moody’s downgraded Senegal’s credit rating and placed the country under observation.

Since taking office, the authorities have lowered the price of household goods such as rice, oil and sugar and launched a series of reviews.

They have initiated justice system reform and presented an ambitious 25-year development plan aimed at transforming the economy and public policy.

Polling stations close at 6:00 pm (1800 GMT).

Reliable projections of the new parliament’s makeup could be available from Monday morning.
…

Yaoundé, Cameroon      — Early results indicate a majority of Gabon’s 860,000 registered voters cast ballots in favor of a new constitution that could end military rule, according to state TV reports.

The results of Saturday’s constitutional referendum could end the transitional military government that ousted the Bongo family dynasty after nearly 60 years of rule. An official tally is expected later.

Officials say the adoption of the new constitution is one of the major promises made by General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema after seizing power in what Gabon’s military leaders call a bloodless August 30 coup that liberated the central African state from political bondage. 

Nguema seized power from Ali Bongo, who was declared the winner of Gabon’s August 26 elections with more than 64% of the vote. 

Gabon’s military said the coup marked an end to the nearly 56-year Bongo dynasty, during which Omer Bongo Ondimba ruled Gabon for 42 years since 1967 and handed power to his son, Ali Bongo, in 2009.

Gabon’s military said it deployed troops Saturday to towns and villages and reinforced a dusk-to-dawn curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. to make sure civilians were protected before, during and after the voting. 

Serge Zeng Ango is executive secretary of the National Union, a political party that campaigned for Gabon citizens to vote in favor of a new constitution during the referendum. 

Ango said the new constitution will put an end to any chance of another political dynasty where power was passed from father to son, as during the Bongo era.  

Unlike in the past when power was confiscated by a few people, said Ango, the new constitution is reassuring that ultimate power resides in civilians who can freely vote for their leaders and contribute to the development of their nation. 

He said those who voted in favor of Gabon’s new constitution are happy that article 42 of the law states that at the end of the term of office, the president, his or her spouse and descendants cannot be candidates for succession. 

But opposition and civil society say the draft constitution should have prohibited military ruler General Nguema from running for president. They said military leaders prepared the constitution to grant excessive power to the president because they want Nguema to maintain his grip on power.  

Jean-Victor Mouanga Mbadinga is a former presidential aspirant and leader of the Movement for Social Emancipation of Gabon’s civilians, one of Gabon’s political parties. 

He said by suppressing the post of prime minister, the fundamental law of 173 articles transforms Gabon into a country where the president has too much power. He said it is unfortunate that Gabon is increasing the presidential term limit from 5 to 7 years, renewable once, when in the United States of America — a world democracy that the central African state should emulate — presidents serve for no longer than two elected 4-year terms. 

Mbadinga said it is abnormal for Gabon’s constitution to give powers to the president to either dissolve parliament, which is the legislative arm of government, and to hire and fire a vice president at will. 

Gabon’s opposition and civil society said they will challenge the outcome of the referendum in the courts but did not give further details. 

Gabon’s government said Saturday’s referendum was free, fair and transparent. 

Officials said the new constitution would protect individual liberties, unlike during the Bongo father and son era. 

International observers from the African Union and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community said that, except for voting that began late due to the late opening of polling stations, the elections were peaceful and transparent. Hundreds of voters turned out at polling stations starting at 6 a.m. local time, according to observers.  

Gabon’s military leaders said final results of the constitutional referendum will be released by the constitutional court, but neither provided a specific time or date.  

After the publication of referendum results, Nguema said, Gabon will prepare its electoral laws in February, create an elections management body, and organize presidential, parliamentary and local elections in August 2025 to end a two-year transitional period.  

The military ruler has not said if Nguema will be a candidate or not, but the constitution in this referendum does not prevent him from running for president.  
…

RIO DE JANEIRO — As Brazil prepares to welcome leaders from the world’s 20 largest economies for the Group of 20 summit, another event is taking place in Rio de Janeiro, one that brings global civil society to together for pivotal discussions.

The Brazil G20 Social Summit, an initiative by the Brazilian government, marks the first event at which citizens from around the world, as well as nonprofits and community organizations, are invited to participate in a series of smaller conferences.

One of the most talked-about initiatives is the launch of the Global Alliance Against Hunger — a group proposed by Brazil’s government to raise funds and implement policies aimed at reducing hunger worldwide.

Wellington Dias, Brazil’s minister of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Combating Hunger, told VOA this initiative is open to any nation. He said the G20 addressing hunger and poverty is a significant challenge and a new development.

Dias said the recent COVID pandemic and climate change created a problem for the world.

“It further disrupted the immigration process,” Dias said in an interview in Portuguese. “We also began to face situations involving climate change and people referred to as climate refugees. Hence, the need to address this issue.”

Brazil, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Chile, Indonesia and the Dominican Republic have outlined their strategies. Countries supporting these efforts include Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Norway and Spain, as well as the European Union and organizations such as the World Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program.

Proposed measures include expanding cash transfer programs to support 500 million people, providing school meals to an additional 150 million children and offering health services to 200 million women and children younger than 6.

“What we need to solve hunger is much less than what is allocated to wars [and conflicts]. … The goal here is to develop a solution tailored to each country’s needs. It’s not just about distributing food baskets but also about delivering a development plan,” Dias said.

Brazilian officials said this financial commitment is expected to come from about 40 nation members of the alliance, 13 international organizations and financial institutions, 19 large philanthropic foundations, civil society organizations, nongovernmental organizations and other nonprofit organizations.

Dias said the alliance is expected to reach its target of 100 countries in the coming months, with more than 50 nations preparing plans to join. However, he said to join the alliance, countries must present well-defined plans and proven projects that effectively reduce poverty.

According to the United Nations, the relationship between food insecurity, migration and displacement is heavily influenced by factors such as conflict, climate change, natural disasters and poverty.

Current projections show that by 2030, 622 million people will live below the World Bank’s extreme poverty line of $2.15 a day.

The alliance’s mission is to lift at least 600 million people out of poverty by 2030.

The G20 social proposals will be compiled into a final document to be presented at the G20 leaders’ summit on Monday and Tuesday, hosted by Brazil. The Brazilian government has prioritized the fight against world hunger, alongside addressing climate change and anti-corruption governance reform.

South African Ambassador Nosipho Jezile told VOA: “Brazil has inspired me and [other] leaders in the context of this global alliance against hunger and poverty. It’s quite a stretch goal in terms of dealing with the challenges in hand.”

But she said nations know the problem and have evidence-based solutions.

“All we have to do is collaborate and make it happen. … It needs a lot of money, but of course, the reorientation of resources that are available to enable and deal with 500 million people that are in hunger and that’s what we have in this commitment,” she said.

About 47,000 people attended the G20 Social Summit from Thursday to Saturday, engaging in discussions on inequality and climate change.

“So, beyond the immigration issue, I always argue that hunger and extreme poverty are not just problems for those experiencing them — they are problems for the middle class, for the wealthy, for rich countries, and for rich individuals. There will be no social peace in the world if we do not find a solution to this issue,” Dias told VOA.
…

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.”

The foreign diplomats from nine European countries and the United States, who were in Somaliland on Wednesday to witness the elections, said they commend Somaliland’s National Electoral Commission for conducting a “transparent voter registration and candidate nomination process.”

In a statement read by the U.K. ambassador to Somalia, Mike Nithavrianakis, the diplomats said they stand ready to work alongside Somaliland to further strengthen democracy and accountability in the future.

Meanwhile, international observers in Somaliland said the elections were peaceful, although in some parts the polling stations did not open “due to conflict.”

Tim Cole, a former British diplomat, is the chief observer of the International Election Observation Mission Somaliland. He is leading a team of 28 international observers invited by the Somaliland election committee.

Cole said the observers visited 146 polling stations and saw “some administrative issues” and said in some places “procedures weren’t followed.” However, he said the team observed that in general, people wanted to participate in the election, there was enthusiasm for voting and the elections were peaceful.

“In some parts of Somaliland … the polling stations didn’t open because of conflict. So that’s one issue that some voters faced,” he told VOA’s Horn of Africa Service.

“There were long queues, which can be seen as a good thing, but it also means people are standing around for a long time. But, yeah, the main challenges were really, I would say, there were some procedural issues. As I said, some of the polling stations, for example, didn’t open as early as they should have done. They were due to open at 7 o’clock and they opened later. That was also true in the capital, Hargeisa.”

The observer said the tallying starts when the ballot boxes are brought from all six regions of Somaliland. He said the results will take days to be released.

“It will be sometime next week before we know the final results,” he said. “So, I’m not sure exactly which day that could be, because all of those things can take time or could be done very quickly depending on logistics, cars breaking down, all those sorts of things. That can happen in any country. So, it will be a few days yet before we get the final result.”

The Brenthurst Foundation, a Johannesburg-based think tank that sent observers to Somaliland, said no serious incidents threatened the integrity of the election on voting day.

“In our opinion, this election was free, fair and credible despite the constraints of Somaliland’s financial and institutional means,” it said in a report published Friday.

More than 1.2 million people registered to vote in the election, the fourth in Somaliland since 2003. The region seceded from the rest of Somalia in 1991 but gained no international recognition. Somalia still considers Somaliland as part of its territory.

Guleid Ahmed Jama is a prominent Somaliland human rights lawyer and analyst. He says the economy, international recognition, foreign affairs, and peace and security were the main issues the candidates have been campaigning on.

“The economy of Somaliland is in a very poor position. Somaliland is a poor country; it’s one of the poorest places in the world. It doesn’t produce or manufacture anything. Most of the things, most of the goods used in Somaliland are imported from the outside,” he said.

“Somaliland export is only livestock and also gets some money from remittance and by the diaspora community. So, its economy is very poor. That is an issue in Somaliland, particularly to the youth,” Jama said.

Recognition is another key issue in Somaliland. The current president, Muse Bihi Abdi, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ethiopia in January, agreeing to lease 20 kilometers of seafront to the landlocked country in return for recognition.

Jama said if the incumbent wins, he will implement the MOU. He said the opposition has welcomed the agreement, but with reservations.

“The political leaders, particularly two main contenders, are all on the same page to have some sort of agreement with Ethiopia in relation to access to [the] sea. But the opposition’s position is that they will like to see the memorandum of understanding — what is written — because they haven’t seen it. It is not a public document, and they say the people will be consulted and the process will be transparent,” he said.

“But the ruling party candidate obviously says if he gets elected, he will convert it to a legally binding agreement. So, it depends on who wins in this election, whether they will proceed with the memorandum of understanding or not.”

Somalia condemns the MOU as illegal and an infringement of its sovereignty and territorial unity, while Ethiopia and Somaliland defend it.

Without commenting on the MOU, Ethiopia praised Somaliland’s election and congratulated the people of Somaliland “on the conduct of [voters for the] peaceful and democratic election.”

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia commended Somaliland’s National Electoral Commission for conducting a “free and fair election.”

“This process reflects the maturity of Somaliland’s governance and democratic system,” the statement concluded.
…