Voters in Somaliland flocked 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. Somaliland, which occupies a strategic location at the juncture of the Indian Ocean and Red Sea, declared independence from the Mogadishu government in 1991. It has not been recognised by any country, restricting access to international finance and the ability of its six million people to travel. The Hargeisa government is hoping to soon finalise a preliminary deal signed in January with la…