Finnish citizen Abdirahman 'Cirro' Mohamed Abdullahi won Somaliland's presidential election last week, AP and Reuters reported on Tuesday following an announcement by the electoral commission.
Cirro won the election by a clear margin, garnering over 60 percent of the votes against his competitors — incumbent Muse Bihi Abdi and another Finnish citizen, Faysal Ali Warabe.
Finland's first Somali-background MP Suldaan Said Ahmed (Left), now working as the Finnish Foreign Ministry's Special Envoy on Peace Mediation in the Horn of Africa, noted Cirro's victory on social media platform X.
"I hope for a peaceful transfer of power and look forward to working with you, Mr. President-elect, in promoting peace and dialogue," Ahmed said in his post.
Somaliland has been a de facto self-ruling region of Somalia since 1991, though no other UN member state, including Finland, has recognised its independence.
Earlier this year, however, neighbouring Ethiopia signed a deal to eventually recognise Somaliland's independence in exchange for land that would offer access to the Indian Ocean.
After serving as the Somali Democratic Republic's Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Cirro moved to Finland in 1996 while Somalia was embroiled in a civil war. He later became a Finnish citizen before launching his political career in Somaliland in the early 2000s.