The phased process of conducting local government elections (LGEs) in Puntland has now commenced, building on the agreements made between various political actors— mainly the political associations, Puntland state and the Transitional Puntland Electoral Commission (TPEC). The initial phase involved voter registration, which was first concluded in Bari, Karkaar and Gardafui, with similar…

Inkastoo ay isbeddello waaweyn ka dheceen saaxadda siyaasadda Soomaaliya labaatankii sano ee lasoo dhaafay, arrin aan is beddelin ayaa ah ku tiirsanaanta nidaamka awood-qeybsiga beelaha, oo ay kamid tahay ‘4.5’. Inkastoo Dastuurka Kumeelgaarka ee Soomaaliya uusan dhigeyn wax tixraac ah oo la xiriira nidaamkan, haddana waxa uu hannaanka 4.5 go’aamiyaa saami qeybsiga beelaha ee Golaha Shacabka…

Amid the major changes to Somalia’s political landscape seen over the past two decades, an abiding feature has been the reliance on clan-based power-sharing models, including the ‘4.5’ formula. Despite the Somali Provisional Constitution containing no reference to the formula, it continues to determine the allocation of seats to clans in the Federal Parliament’s House of the People (HoP) and…

Tan iyo markii la sameeyay dowlad-goboleedka Jubaland 2012-kii, tobannaan sano oo colaado ah ka dib, xasilooni ayaa ka jirta qeybo kamid ah gobolka. Iyadoo ay side tahay, waxaa weli sii socda amni darrada, gacan ka haal siyaasad la xiriira, dhibaatooyinka bini’aadamnimo iyadoo uu jiro khilaaf soo noqnoqday oo u dhexeeya Jubaland iyo dowladda federaalka. Kala qeybsanaanta siyaasadeed ayaa ka…

Since the formation of Jubaland state in 2012, decades of conflict have given way to increased stability across parts of the region. Even so, insecurity, political violence and humanitarian crises have persisted amid recurrent tensions between Jubaland and the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS). Indeed, political fragmentation continues to characterize dynamics in the state: al-Shabaab…

On 6 February, six zones and five special woredas2 in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State (SNNPR) held a referendum on statehood to determine whether the zones – Wolayta, Gamo, Gofa, South Omo, Gedeo and Konso – and special woredas – Derashe, Amaro, Burji, Basketo and Ale – will form a separate autonomous state or remain within the SNNPR. This was the third such…

For the past two months, disputes between political associations and the government of Puntland overshadowed the resumption of the local elections. Puntland has nine registered political associations that have competed during the recent early local elections. The rift between the two sides started in December 2021, when the date to hold the inauguration of the elected council was not met,…

Western Oromia makes up about a third of Ethiopia’s largest regional state, Oromia. The seven zones generally considered to be part of western Oromia – Kellem Wollega, East and West Wollega, Horru Guduru Wollega, Illubabor, Buno Bedelle and Jimma – border three of Ethiopia’s other regional states: Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz and Gambella, as well as Upper Nile state in South Sudan. Since 2019,…

Historically, the people living along the Blue Nile – Benishangul-Gumuz borderlands in what is now Sudan and Ethiopia have been politically and socially marginalized within their respective political entities. As such they have sought ways to address this marginalization by undertaking a number of strategies. They have sought to mobilize and increase their communal solidarity and then lobby…