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Abdiweli Mohamed Ali elected President of Somalia’s Puntland
Michele Cervone d’Urso, the EU special envoy to Somalia who attended the vote, said it had set a benchmark for peaceful elections for the rest of Somalia.
“The election is a positive for the democratization process. Now the president-elect can focus on defusing tensions between the different group of supporters,” he told reporters.
The region, roughly one-third of Somalia’s geographical area, is believed to be rich in undeveloped energy resources and is being sized up by oil explorers.
Ali is yet to make his views on the oil exploration in the region public. Farole had said he would not allow Mogadishu to award oil contracts to foreign firms.
“It is hoped that he will fight al-Shabaab in an effort to tighten security,” Hussein Abdirahman, a history lecturer at Mogadishu University’s branch in Bosasso told reporters.
“Being an economist, people hope he will also improve economy and political ties with the federal government.”
Source: Reuters
