LAS ANOD, Somalia – Lawmakers in Somalia’s newly recognized Northeast State on Saturday elected their first president in a landmark vote held in the war-scarred city of Las Anod, cementing the region’s autonomy after a bloody year-long struggle for self-rule.
Abdiqadir Ahmed Aw-Ali, better known as Firdhiye, won a clear majority to lead the administration for the next five years. He had already been serving as head of the region’s interim government.
The election represents a major step in formalizing Northeast State’s role within Somalia’s federal system. It also delivers a blow to Somaliland, the self-declared republic that lost control of the territory after fierce fighting in 2023.
Celebrations broke out in the streets of Las Anod as Firdhiye’s victory was announced. The ballot took place under tight security, with a citywide curfew imposed the night before and armed forces guarding the parliament hall.
“This is a historic day that moves our administration from a provisional to a permanent status,” one electoral official told lawmakers.
Firdhiye’s path was eased when his main rival, Abdirisaq Khalif—a former Somaliland parliamentary speaker who defected to join the uprising—pulled out before the second round of voting.
Khalif reportedly walked out of the chamber after another candidate, Jamal Mohamed Hassan, threw his support behind Firdhiye. The process continued regardless, confirming Firdhiye’s majority.
Forged in conflict
The creation of the Northeast State administration is rooted in a brutal conflict that erupted in late 2022. The Sool, Sanaag, and Cayn (SSC) regions have long been contested by Somaliland to the west and Somalia’s Puntland state to the east.
For years, the Dhulbahante clan and other local communities have demanded their own autonomous state within a united Somalia, rejecting authority from both the central government and regional administrations.
The standoff turned violent in February 2023, when elders announced plans to establish an administration loyal to Mogadishu. Months of heavy fighting between Somaliland’s forces and clan militias devastated Las Anod and displaced tens of thousands. By August, local fighters had expelled Somaliland’s army from all of Sool.
Meanwhile, Abdirashid Yusuf Jibril (Abwaan) was elected vice president of the Northeast State administration by a majority vote, after the absence of other registered candidates cleared the way for his unopposed victory.
The Somali Federal Government soon recognized the new administration, clearing the way for Saturday’s presidential election.
Firdhiye’s election is seen as a political win for Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Reports indicate strong backing from Villa Somalia, the presidential palace in Mogadishu, during the process. Firdhiye is said to be a member of Mohamud’s JSP party.
By supporting Northeast State, Mogadishu reinforces its federalist model while undermining Somaliland, which has claimed independence since 1991 but has yet to gain international recognition. The emergence of the Northeast State effectively shrinks Somaliland’s territory and complicates its decades-long quest for statehood.
Still, challenges loom for President Firdhiye. He must oversee the rebuilding of a city shattered by war, set up functioning government institutions, and stabilize security in a fragile region.