Somaliland president rejects resignation of embittered governor

President of the self-declared state of Somaliland Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Silanyo has rejected the resignation of a governor who fell out with a government official over a state vehicle.

The Governor Ibrahim Haji Ali Hassan announced his resignation last month after a dispute with the region’s representative in Djibouti Abdifatah Said Ahmed over the allocation of a vehicle, local media report.

The president in a decree on Sunday announced the rejection of Hassan’s resignation which is rare especially in government circles.

#Somaliland President H.E Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud Silanyo Elevates Nasiye and Bohol to Districts and also rejects Hawd governor’s resignation pic.twitter.com/BUXYzpUhwD

— SomalilandPresidency (@SLPresidency) October 2, 2017

Recognized internationally as the autonomous region of Somalia, Somaliland will hold its presidential election in November.

There are only three recognised political parties in the break away region including the Wadani Party.

The general elections were scheduled to be held in March this year but was postponed due to the drought condition in the region.

President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo says he will not be running for a second term. He has served for seven years and will leave office on December 13, 2017.

Although not recognised as a sovereign state, Somaliland declared its independence from Somalia on May 18, 1991.

Somaliland, with a population of about 4 million, can boast of an army, its own currency and legal system and is appreciated for holding credible elections.

The territory has been experiencing stability and economic prosperity and has been influential in the fight against piracy and terrorism in the horn of Africa.

The territory had been under pressure to hold talks with Somalia which have so far been futile.

25 years of diplomatic isolation has made it difficult for Somaliland to have access to loans from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.