Abdikadir Firdhiye elected president of Somalia’s new Northeastern state

Abdikadir Ahmed Ali Firdhiye has been elected president of Somalia’s newly created Northeastern state after a tense vote in Las Anod on Saturday.

His main challenger, Abdirisaq Khaliif Ahmed, pulled out after Jamal Mohamed Hassan threw his support behind Firdhiye, handing him a decisive edge. Firdhiye, who had served as interim leader of the SSC-Khatumo administration for the past two years, was seen as the frontrunner thanks to alliances built ahead of the vote.

The vice-presidential race also concluded, with Abdirashid Yusuf Jibriil, the former Puntland parliament speaker and a well-known poet, emerging as the likely winner. Jibriil is a close ally of Firdhiye.

Both men were viewed as preferred candidates of the Federal Government in Mogadishu. Opposition figures accused federal officials of tilting the playing field. “The government’s interference undermines the credibility and transparency of this election and could derail the process of forming a viable administration,” one candidate told local media. Mogadishu has not responded to the claims.

The Northeastern state grew out of the SSC-Khatumo movement, which declared self-rule after months of fighting with Somaliland forces around Las Anod. The new entity has rejected Puntland’s claim over the Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn regions, and has sought recognition from Mogadishu as a federal member state.

Saturday’s election formalizes its leadership for the first time, a step supporters say brings stability after years of contested control.