Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia, holds a presidential election on Wednesday at a time of diplomatic tensions in the Horn of Africa. - Economy - The region has a strategic position in the Horn of Africa,

Voters in Somaliland head to the polls on Wednesday to choose a president at a time when the breakaway Somali region sees international recognition within reach after three decades of de facto self-rule.

It takes place against the backdrop of flaring tensions with Somalia’s federal government over a deal that will allow Ethiopia to build a military base on Somaliland’s coast on the Gulf of Aden. Incumbent leader Muse Bihi Abdi and challengers ...