Somalia: U.S. Officials Visit Somaliland to Congratulate President-elect Abdirahman Irro

HARGEISA, Somalia - In what could be a significant step towards an acknowledgment of local elections in Somaliland, two top senior government officials from the United States visited Hargeisa, the administrative capital of Somaliland, where they held talks with the outgoing administration.

Before meeting outgoing leader Muse Bihi Abdi, US Ambassador to Somalia Richard Riley and Major General Brian Cashman held talks with incoming leader Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi alias Irro, who won the November 13th elections.

The two leaders congratulated the breakaway region of Somaliland for conducting peaceful elections which were credible despite a few procedural and administrative issues that observers said 'can be fixed to make the exercise more productive in future'.

"Ambassador Richard H. Riley and Major General Brian Cashman met with Somaliland President Muse Bihi, followed by a meeting with Somaliland President-elect Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (Cirro) in Hargeisa," the US embassy said.

"They congratulated President Bihi and President-elect Cirro on Somaliland's recent peaceful and democratic election and discussed ways to advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Horn of Africa."

Bihi lost the elections to Irro, his fierce critic, and has since conceded defeat, paving the way for a smooth transition. Irro comes at a time when the region is at the center of controversy after it signed a controversial agreement on access to the Red Sea with Ethiopia, a move which irked Somalia.

It is not clear if the two officials opened up about the agreement, which threatens the stability of the Horn of Africa after Somalia severed ties with Ethiopia. The US has persistently called for dialogue but Somalia wants Ethiopia to withdraw the MoU.

Just before the elections, Irro said his team shall review the agreement before making their stand known, adding that "Ethiopia can still access the sea through Berbera port in a structured business model for the sake of economic growth".

GAROWE ONLINE