Global conflict tracker CrisisWatch is concerned about the growing political tensions Somaliland following the postponement of the presidential elections.
CrisisWatch said the postponement of Somaliland’s presidential election risks turning a months-long dispute over the electoral calendar into a wider crisis as the opposition has vowed it will not recognise incumbent President Muse Bihi after 13 November.
It said this will have far reaching consequences politically and in the economic development of the country which has enjoyed relative peace in the Horn of Africa region known for its instability.
Last month, the Somaliland senate unilaterally decided to postpone the presidential elections which had been scheduled to be held on 13 of this month and extended the term of president Bihi by a further two years.
The opposition parties Wadani and UCID have said they will not recognize the president and his government after November 13.
The matter was further complicated when the Garhajis clan, the most populous and influential in Somaliland demanded for an inclusive and consensus-based agreement between political parties for the presidential election based on the time-span scheduled by the National Election Commission, before the 13th November 2022.
Meanwhile CrisisWatch has also noted the tense situation in Ethiopia and Sudan and Chad.
In Ethiopia it said while Ethiopia’s federal and Tigray leaders met in South Africa for urgent peace talks failure for an immediate cessation of hostilities, military offensives could result in mass atrocities against Tigray’s civilians in the coming weeks.
On Sudan, the CrisisWatch flagged the intercommunal clashes that erupted in the Blue Nile state, killing hundreds and forcing thousands more to flee while Chad, authorities violently repressed countrywide protests against the extension of the transition period to civilian rule, leaving at least 60 dead and hundreds more injured.
CrisisWatch is a global conflict tracker, a tool designed to help decision-makers prevent deadly violence by keeping them up-to-date with developments in over 70 conflicts and crises, identifying trends and alerting them to risks of escalation and opportunities to advance peace.
