UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION

The above had been a cherished goal by all Somalis

even before since the birth of the United Nations in
1945, but actually the North – South rash merger in
1960, instead of gradually planned re-union, was
forced by the northern masses over the head of their
inexperienced politicians and that also forced the
hands of the southern political leaders.
1st July 1960 was independence of the South. The
reunion was proclaimed on that same day.
On the 1st July 1960, the independence of the Italian
administered Somalia and its unification with former
British Somaliland protectorate (gained independence
on June 26, I960) was promulgated.
UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION
This event had partly achieved aspirations of the Somali
nationalist movement of uniting the Somali people.
The new independent Somali state had faced many
challenges, such as poorly trained human resources,
politicized clan system, huge rural migrations, low
economic performance, pressure from the hostile
neighboring countries, and problems regarding the
administrative integration of the British and Italian systems.
Nevertheless, in the first nine years, Somalia had been one
of the most democratic countries in Africa, where freedom
of association and political participation was granted.
UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION
Th Parliamentary and presidential elections were held
and an embryonic social organization began to emerge,
strikes and demonstrations were tolerated, and political
prisoners were not known. On the dark side of this
period, corruption, known as Musuqmaasuq in the
Somali language and clannism became more rampant,
particularly during elections.
The prime causes of corruption could be related to the
flunkey culture of governance due to the anarchic,
nomadic culture, the low capacity of the human
resources, and poor economic performance.
UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION
Moreover, application of the imported model of
democracy without giving due consideration to the Somali
social setting had brought about tribal conflict, political
anarchy, and immeasurable turmoil. The democratic
experience of this period did not satisfy aspirations of the
general population, particularly among educated elites
who had returned from the universities abroad.
Similarly, it did not please the officers of the Somali Army
who had been trained mainly by the Soviet Union.
UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION
In that situation, Somali masses, dismayed with the
corrupted government and economic stagnation, were
looking into the army as the only possible avenue of
change to the political stalemate created by the ruling SYL
party. During this period, the number of civil society
organizations was growing. Many young, educated scholars
who had returned from abroad after being influenced by
worldwide political ideologies became active in
establishing CSOs as well as political parties. The following
organizations were either continued and developed further
or were established during this period.
UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION
The activities of CSOs covered a large spectrum from labor
organizations, women‘s organizations, student organizations,
Islamic organizations, sport clubs, and so on.
Labor Movement: The labor organization which was founded
in 1949 continued after Somalia‘s independence and was later
renamed the General Confederation of Somali Labor (GCSL).It
was an umbrella organization for most of the labor
organizations and government employees. The strongest
organizations were the Teacher's League, Post and
Transportation, Mogadishu Port Labor Union, and employees
of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Information .
 UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION
2. Women‘s Organizations: The main organization was the
Organization of Somali Women (OSW), which was established in
1960 to lobby for women‘s political participation and advancing
women‘s agenda in the international arena. The first Chairlady
of OSW was Gudle Mohamed Afrah and the Vice-chairlady was
Khadija Muse Matan.
3. Student organizations: There were two main student
organizations—the Somali Youth Council and the Somali Student
Solidarity Organization (SSSO). Somali Youth Council was
founded in1966 as an umbrella organization for 11 youth
organizations.
 UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION
Hussein Sheikh Ahmed Kadare (1934-2015), a renowned author,
poet, and one of the inventors of the modern Somali language
script, was the chairman of Somali Youth Council. 90 Most of
the youth organizations in Mogadishu were members under this
umbrella. On the other hand, SSSO was established in 1967 and
was an Islamist organization promoting education, and lobbying
to use Arabic script to write Somali Language. Sheikh Ahmed
Dhisow, a prominent Islamic scholar and activist, was the
Secretary General of SSSO.
On 1st July Aden Abdulle was elected as provisional President of
a new Somali Republic and first Head of State. He would appoint
Abdirashid as prime minister.
 UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION
On 7 July Jama Abdullahi Ghalib was elected President of the National
Assembly.
For the first six months the union was only political on moral authority,
but lacked legal formality. That loop hole was, however, remedied six
months later when the National Assembly unanimously approved a new
Act of Union, Law No. 5, on 31 January 1961, which was made
retroactively back dated as from July 1, 1960 - Emphasis. Somali
governance during the internal self-government in the South, and also
since independence and reunion during the civilian era, 1960 - 1969, was
centralized Unitary System. And the electoral system was Proportional
Representation, except Somaliland's pre-independence 1960 elections,
which were based on, 'Plurality'.
 UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION
Subsequent Diary of Events:
Northern grievances resurfaced soon after the reunion - Emphasis.
1961- 20 June referendum held on the provisional Constitution was
approved by big majority of voters country wide, and Aden Abdulle
was re-elected as President of the Republic on 6 July 1961, and he
again appointed Abdirashid as prime minister.
On 10 Dec. a coup d’état was attempted in the North by an all north
group of junior army officers – Emphasis.
1962 – In May, Jama Abdullahi Ghalib, Somali National Assembly
speaker, led parliamentary delegation to UK to discuss the future of
the then NFD and its people with members of the British
Parliament.
 UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION
And Prime Minister Abdirashid visited London for the same
purpose in December and met both the British Prime Minister
and Foreign Minister. A combined delegation of the NFD
communities accompanied by their lawyers also visited
London and met the British Colonial Secretary. In all those
meetings, the British government promised a fair deal and an
honorable settlement of the future of the NFD before Kenya’s
independence - Emphasis.
Britain held a plebiscite for the Somalis of the NFD, but
dishonored the outcome whereby 89% chose re-union with
the Somali Republic.
 UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION
1. – On 12 March Somalia severs diplomatic relations with Britain
over the NFD.
Rebellion in the Ogaden for demands of self-determination.
Somalia enters into military co-operation with the former Soviet
Union - Emphasis.
In October, Somali National Congress (SNC) party was formed in
Belet-weyn under the leadership of Sheikh Ali Jimale and Mohamed
Ibrahim Egal, but the new party failed to get the expected showing
few months later during general elections in March 1964.
1963-4 two Somali-Ethiopian wars led to the Khartoum
Agreement.
 UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION

1964 – In May Abdirazak Haji Hussein becomed Prime Minister.

1966 – in Sept. pro-independence demanstrations in Djibouti
coincided with President De Gaulle’s visit,
Abdirazak’s government denounced any Somali claim over
Djibouti, but continued support for self-determination for its
people.
1967 – On 20 March France gerrymandered the results of a
plebiscite it held in Djibouti and changed the name of the
territory. Somalia challenged the French decision in the UN
General Assembly and won, but stubborn France would not
burdge from its position until Djibouti’s independence in 1977 -
Emphasis.
 UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION
In June Abdirashid was elected President and he appointed
Mohamed Ibrahim Egal as Pime Minister.
Egal unilaterally normalized relations with both Ethiopia and
Kenya, without securing any concessions for the Somali people
living under those foreign powers. It was a decision that was very
unpopular with the Somali people at that time - Emphasis.
Before the second post-independence general elections in March
1969, the civilian rule period guaranteed both democracy and
individual freedom to the acclaim of the international community
at large and the envoy of most of the rest of African peoples. In
Somalia a sitting President was defeated in an election and he
retired peacefully.
 UNIT EIGHT: SOMALI INDEPENDENCE AND REUNION
Else- where in a sitting President would only be replaced by a military coup
d’etat during that time. The only other exception who was defeated and retired
peacefully was Kenneth Kauda of Zambia, but 24 years later in 1991.
Historically, governance in Somalia during the civilian era (1960 – 69), and
also in the South since 1956 Internal Self-government, was Centralized Unitary
system.
Likewise, electoral system practiced during the same periods was Proportional
Representation, except Somaliland elections in 1960 before independence
which were based on Plurality. 1969 – In March, the last civilian government
rigged elections, chaos ensued and the elected President was assassinated on
15 October and that was the end of an era, the civilian rule.