Puntland State of Somalia yesterday celebrated the 13th anniversary of its establishment as a model for a federal Somalia, where power and natural resources, the main and modern triggers of conflicts in Africa, are fairly and equally distributed to its regions and people.
The creation of Puntland State in 1998 coincided with the failure of Cairo Peace Conference, one of the dozen reconciliation talks held in overseas to reconcile the warring parties in Somalia but later manipulated by governments to thwart the outcome of preceded conferences held by rival antagonists.
Disgruntled with Egyptian mediator's partisan approach, the region's first president, Col. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed walked out the meeting in Cairo and returned home to hold talks with elders and clan representatives who after months of deliberation agreed to establish a self-rule state that could be a cornerstone for a future Federal Republic of Somalia.
Remarkably, the administration has reformed and trained its security forces, promoted governance and revitalized its institutions using the insufficient income it generates from tax revenues.
In all conferences on Somalia, Puntland campaigned for the restoration of Somali government in a manner that suits all parties to the conflict without marginalisation of any group or any clan - federalism.
But pushing a federal system for Somalia, the administration has gained animosity and is less favoured by some international actors in Somalia, mainly the Arab league and Arab nations who support a centralized Somali government.
The impressive foundation of this little-known State and its success story has been aided by the absolute need of its people for governance after being deprived of security and tranquillity by the ruinous civil war that torn the Horn of African nation apart and the subsequent meaningless bloodshed that shapes the image of today's Somalia.
I was motivated to write this piece of acknowledgement in admiration for the civilians; women, children, students, who took the streets yesterday in colourful celebration for the anniversary of this great establishment in a rare scene in Somalia, overwhelmed by strong enthusiasm for governance and strong excitement for their relative achievement. They were not out to support a particular leader or a certain group but to show the dire need for stability and order, a valuable trigger that deserves to be admired and rewarded.
Since its establishment, Puntland has been presided over by four successive presidents, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, Mohamed Abdi Hashi, Mohamoud Muse Hersi, and current President, Abdirahman Mohamed Farole who won parliamentary election in January 2009.
Despite its maintenance to remain as part of Federal Somalia and continual disregard to succession, Puntland has been relatively marginalized in international conferences aimed to restore stability and order to Somalia, which could deepen the already political deadlock in the country.
Mostly, this marginalisation is helped by its under-representation in international partners engaged in Somalia, i.e. international aid agencies; think-tanks and international media, mainly used by groups and individuals who underestimate its success story.
