Somalia’s oil-rich Puntland region will on Thursday hold its first democratic local elections since 1967, a significant turnaround for the semi-autonomous state that’s long been known as a haven for international piracy and hideout for the Islamic State in the Horn of Africa. The election will pit President Saed Abdullahi Deni’s KAAH party against challengers from six other parties. Puntland’s electoral body said that more than 400,000 people have registered to cast ballots. The Horn of African nation has been mired in conflict for more than three decades, and democratic elections have been repeatedly delayed by ... (full story)