Dahir Riyale Kahin

Dahir Rayale Kahin is a Somaliland politician who was President of Somaliland from 2002 to 2010. He previously served as a senior officer in the National Security Service of Somalia, and he was Vice President of Somaliland from 1997 to 2002. 

Kahin was born in the town of Quljeed, situated in the northwestern Awdal region of Somaliland. He was educated in Amoud, and was later trained in Mogadishu.

Kahin’s previous posts included a diplomatic position at the Somali Embassy in Djibouti.
In the last years of the Siad Barre government, during the 1980s, Kahin was the highest-ranking National Security Service (NSS) officer in Berbera
From 1997 to 2002, Kahin served as the Vice President of Somaliland.
On 3 May 2002, Kahin became the third President of Somaliland, after the death of the autonomous region’s President Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal. Kahin later won the elections on 14 April 2003, representing the Ururka Dimuqraadiga Umada Bahawday (UDUB), or United Democratic People’s Party. He was sworn into office on 16 May.
In 2008, Kahin established by decree new regions and districts. 

Throughout his tenure as President of Somaliland, Kahin sought to maintain peace and tranquility in the region. His administration contributed to various state-building and institutional development initiatives. In terms of democratization, his government also successfully organized local council elections, parliamentary elections, and two presidential elections. Additionally, Kahin is noted for having peacefully transferred power to his successor in office, President Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud.