As reported by the electoral commission on Tuesday, Abdirahman Cirro, the opposition leader of Somaliland, triumphed against incumbent president Muse Bihi Abdi in last week’s election. This initiates a leadership transition as the secessionist Somali province seeks international recognition.

Since proclaiming independence from Somalia in 1991, Somaliland has maintained de facto self-governance; nevertheless, it has not received recognition from any nation, which limits access to foreign financing and restricts travel for its six million inhabitants.

Musa Hassan, head of the Somaliland Electoral Commission, reported that Cirro, leader of the opposition Waddani party, secured 64% of the vote, while Bihi received 35%.

Situated at the intersection of the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, Somaliland perceives international recognition as attainable following a preliminary agreement with landlocked Ethiopia in January, which would provide Addis Ababa with a coastal strip in return for recognition.

Hargeisa, the capital, is likewise optimistic that President-elect Donald Trump’s new government would support its interests. Trump’s first-term top Africa policy officials have expressed support for Somaliland’s recognition.

While Somalia entered a civil conflict from which it has not yet recovered, Somaliland has experienced a comparable period of stability since gaining autonomy thirty years ago.

Although Cirro has expressed widespread support for the preliminary agreement with Ethiopia, it is unclear if he will actually carry it out. He could be more receptive to communication with the government of Somalia, which is against the deal, according to some observers.

The agreement has strained ties between Mogadishu and Ethiopia, which is a key backer of a peacekeeping force battling Islamist terrorists in Somalia, and has brought Somalia closer to Ethiopia’s longstanding adversaries, Egypt and Eritrea.

“While I think there are concerns that (Cirro) may opt for a radical departure from his predecessor, jettison the MOU, embrace dialogue with Somalia, there’s a big difference between campaigning and governing,” said Matt Bryden, a strategic adviser with the Sahan think-tank.

Thousands of Nigeriens demonstrated in the streets on Saturday and Sunday in support of the ruling CNSP and in opposition to alleged foreign interests to destabilise it.

Following reports that police had detained a French “spy,” a coalition of civil society organisations had called for a demonstration.

Many demonstrators also expressed support for the governments of Mali and Burkina Faso. The Alliance of Sahel States, or AES, is made up of Niger and these two nations.

“On the 17th of September, I was in Bamako when they tried to destabilize Mali [Editor’s Note: a deadly terror attack shook Mali’s capital on that day]. But that was not enough for them, they tried to destabilize Ibrahim Traoré in Burna Faso. That is why we are sending a strong message to all those imperialists. Know that we are standing by our military. We are with our security forces,” Mohamed said.

Colonel Ibro Amadou Bacharou, the President’s Chief of Staff, was among the members of the junta government known as the CNSP who participated in the march. Some students and their various unions were also part of the demonstration.

The protest was held in more general charges of French conspiracies to topple the government that overthrew Mohamed Bazoum and directed the evacuation of US and French forces.

“Losing Niger is a great catastrophe for France,” Abdourahamane, a civil society leader says.

“They were not going to stand still, and look are us leave. They will do everything to come back but our chance is that we’re much more aware than our grandparents. Today, Africans master the tool of information so they cannot manipulate us anymore.”

The demonstrators acknowledge that achieving sovereignty will take time. They made two demands of the nation’s leaders: economic and military progress.

“Will they be able to colonize us once again?” Mohamed Elkebir Souleymane, the main organizer asked, “No,” a cheerful crowd responded.

“In that case, in the next ten years, the CNSP has to be able to build weapons that will defend us, among other priorities. We must be able to build the tanks we will use to fight. Industrial units have to be built. You need to develop the economy,”

Niger is one of five West African countries under a military dictatorship as in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea but the juntas appear popular in these states as many consider overthrown civil governments as puppets of foreign powers— an impression that is seen in several recent anti-France demonstrations in the region.