Somalis Political History

[Deeq A.]

Somali political history is marked by its 1960 unification of British Somaliland protectorate and Italian Somalia, followed by a brief democratic period, a 21-year military dictatorship under Siad Barre (1969-1991), and the subsequent collapse into civil war, leading to a failed state, the breakaway republic of Somaliland, and the ongoing struggles by the so-called Federal Government of Somalia against Israel’s timed recognition of Somaliland.

Historically, Somalis were divided into five major territories; a division primarily resulted from colonial rule. The five-pointed star on the Somali national flag symbolizes these five territories, which together form the concept of ‘Greater Somalia.’

The five Somali-inhabited regions since time immemorial are:

a) The northern region, formerly known as British Somaliland protectorate and presently known as The Republic Of Somaliland, gained independence on June 26, 1960 and five days later voluntarily, without conditions, united with Southern region, forming what was formerly and internationally known as The Somali Republic. This northern region, which was under British rule from 1884 to June 26, 1960, is now the self-declared independent state of Somaliland.

b) The southern region, which was under Italian rule, became independent on July 1, 1960 and united with northern region that gained independence from the united kingdom on June 26, 1960, forming the country that was fomerly and internationally known as The Somali Republic in July 1, 1960.

c) French Somaliland region, presently home to Afar and Essa, and is now the independent nation of Djibouti, geographically located in the northeastern part of the Horn of Africa, strategically positioned where the Red Sea meets the Gulf of Aden, sharing borders with Eritrea to the north, Ethiopia to the west and south, and Somaliland to the east, was under the rule of French from 1894 to July 27, 1977.

d) The inland region, or Hawd and Reserve Area, also known as Ogaden or the Somali Western Region, which is still under the occupation of Ethiopia, was since time immemorial part of the Somali-inhabited territories.

e) Northern Frontier District (NFD), a region in northern Kenya, which is still home to a significant Somali population, was part of the Somali-inhabited areas in the horn of Africa.

During the colonial rule – Scramble for Africa – the Somali-inhabited territories in the Horn of Africa were partitioned into the above- mentioned five distinct regions.

This division under colonial powers (Britain, Italy, France, and Ethiopia/Abyssinia) fueled the post-independence goal of pan-Somali nationalism, which aimed to unite all five regions into a single Somali state. However, the idea of pan-Somali nationalism did not come true due to the following reasons.

After WWII, Britain ceded Somali-inhabited territories (Ogaden and North Frontier District) to Ethiopia and Kenya as rewards for their wartime support, solidifying borders that cut across Somali populations.

OAU Stance: The OAU, formed in 1963, adopted a policy of respecting colonial inhwrent borders, hindering pan-Somali unification efforts (The concept of Greater Somalia).

French Somaliland that became Djibouti after gaing independence has a mixed population dominated by two groups: the Essa (a Somali clan) and the Afar (a Cushitic, non‑Somali people). Afar political interests and French colonial policy complicated any simple absorption into Somalia.

Bottom line: British Somaliland and Italian Somalia were two distinct territories administered by separate colonial powers.

British Somaliland was a protectorate under the United Kingdom. Italian Somalia, located in the central and southern parts of the horn of Africa, officially known as Somalia Italiana was under the Italian rule.

As history explains who humans are and how they evolved, the two regions, northern and southern, merged on July 1, 1960, and formed ‘Somali Republic.’

While having strong convictions is not inherently problematic, rigidly believing one is always right to the exclusion of all other viewpoints can be a form of distortion or intellectual close-mindedness. This inflexible thinking style can prevent growth, hinder constructive dialogue. This is primarily what cannot lighten Arabs’ emotional load and provide a new perspective, a particular way of considering something; one which reveals the true story of how really nations became countries.

By: Jamafalaag
Somaliland, Hargeisa

Qaran News