For some, this is a worrisome trend. When residents of a federal state see their situation and concerns closer to home as sidetrack, the leaders of that state must see the writing on the world. The reasons for residents not paying much attention to their local issues could be multiple: a) They could be complacent and take many things at home for granted.
b) They may see dimishing returns in the future of their State
c) Their local leaders may be uninspiring
d) It could be that there is no active, informative and free press to raise issues on accountability in public service and ask hard questions. e) It could be that checks and balance of power aren’t in place, questionable or disfunctional
f) It could be that there is no constructive opposition to the government of the day, among many other possibilities.

In all scenarios, it doesn’t sound healthy and comfortable state of affairs. Puntland centres of influence must take this public paralysis as a clarion call to avoid a dead end to progress.

They say, the absence of tribal clashes at a given moment doesn’t mean there is peace. Whatever the case might be, the active participation of citizens in the affairs of their home state is a good indication of people’s hope and confidence in their future.

While there is no denying of gross human rights abuses, possibly massacres of civilians by joint Amhara militia, Ethiopian Federal forces and Eritrean Army in the Tigray military offensive, the defeated leaders of TPLF and its affiliates are stepping up disinformation and propaganda campaigns of unprecedented scale to discredit the administration of prime minister Abyi Ahmed. In this media and diplomatic offensive, remnants of TPLF, its supporting diaspora media outlets and connections are accusing Ethiopian Government of the same crimes they have been committing for over 27 years of misrule, but got away with heinous crimes against humanity. For nearly three decades TPLF has been hosting a military campaign of massacres against Somali Ethiopians, Oromo, Amharas, as they have been running turture prisons for anti-regime activitists of every nationalities in the country except Tigreyans. The same Tigreyans, who were silencing journalists and free press for decades, would like the world community now to listen to their plight with empathy. They say, what goes around comes around, unfortunately.

It is a twist of fate that people in power in Ethiopia today are either the victims of Tigreyan repression or insiders and eye-witnesses of TPLF abuses and atrocities.

Before jumping into conclusion, the international community should appoint investigators to look into what was happening in Ethiopia in terms of rights violations for the past three decades, avoiding to limit itself to current Tigreyan conflict only. The world community needs to know the root causes of this conflict to help Ethiopia not to repeat it.

(This article has been updated since posting).

Political friction between #FGS (Federal Government of Somalia) and #FMSs (Federal Member States) of #Somalia is a part and parcel of #federalism in a tribal society- a good thing, for it is the only feasible #checks and #Balance of power.

Conventional democracy doesn’t hold any water in Somalia, and most probably, in any developing country. Let us keep it that way.

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