July 1st is a day worth of celebrating for Somalia as it is the day that the southern Somalia or previously Italian Somaliland gained its dependence from the Italian colony and also united with the northern Somalia or ex-British Somaliland which also gained its dependence from the British empire on June 26th 1960. Therefore, July 1st is the most remarkable day that all Somalis mark it as their birth day. It is the day that the blue flag went up to the sky; it is the absolute day that the colonial powers finally vacated Somalia physically.
The greater Somalia was colonized by powerful nations. From 1870s until World War II of 1942, Britain gained control over the Italian portions of Somalia. In 1887, Britain became concerned with keeping the route to India open through the Suez Canal, which was opened in 1869, and as a result, Britain proclaimed Somalia as a British protectorate and named it British Somaliland.
In the beginning of the 20th century, native uprisings challenged British control. In 1910, the British abandoned the interior of Somaliland and withdrew to the coastal regions. Italy seized the opportunity to extend its control inland and took over many of the regions that the British had abandoned. After WWII, Italy relinquished control and Somalia was given to the United Nations. For 10 years, it was a UN trust territory under Italian administration until 1960, when Somalia was granted independence, merged with the former British protectorate and the Somali Republic was formed.
However, the independence did not come easily as there was a hassle and struggle for many years by adventurous freedom fighters that bloodily fought the colonial powers alongside political parties who on the other side negotiated independence with the empire.
There are a lot of theories of how the independence was won and how long the struggle continued. It is clear that different political parties were established prior to 1960 to campaign for independence albeit with different approaches. SYL is the main political party which is always credited to the independence of Somalia but the truth is that there were other parties as well which were in the forefront to fight for the independence.
Hizbia Dighil-Mirifle (HDM) (Dighil Mirifle party) which later changed its name to Hisbia Dastur Mustaqbil al- Somal (HDMS) (Somali Independent Constitutional Party) was a leading political party which fought the Italian colony for independence. HDM was established in 1947 by key religious leaders led by the iconic Sheikh Abdullahi Begedi. For more than 20 years (1947-1968), especially before independence in 1960, HDMS was the true opposition party in the country, given the fact that the dominant nationalist movement, the Somali youth league, worked closely with British Military Administration in the 1940s and later with Italian Trusteeship authorities in the 1950s.
During this period, HDMS and their leader Sheikh Abdullahi Begedi raised different important plans for the long term stability of Somalia after independence. In 1943 HDMS party presented TWO key points to the Italian colony. The first one was Somalia to demand and adopt FEDERALIZATION as the only way of creating a harmonious Somali state. The party justified their reason as fear that the powerful nomadic clans would dominate the Somali state but SYL rejected that claim and even discarded another proposed census in 1956 by HMDS because of fear that HDM clans would outnumber other clans who claim to be the largest clan in the country. Indeed, Somalia has never carried out a proper census of its population.
The second point that HDMS allegedly presented to the colonial powers was to keep Somalia under close control of Italy for TEN years after independence, so that Somalia is kept stable, directed to the right path and is not left walk alone to the jungle. HDMS believed that Somalis were not ready to walk alone on their own and they required proper guidance and direction from the Italians. HDMS was calling for Djibouti styled independence for TEN years and then by 1970, Somalia to be given their entire governance and decision making. SYL again opposed this suggestion and even raised a false alarm among the Somali people that HDMS is not serious about the independence and instead siding with the colony.
Nevertheless, Somalia ultimately got its independence on July 1st 1960. Immediately FOUR years after the independence; Somalia went to war with Ethiopia over the Ogadenia region of Somalia while Nine years after the independence Somalia killed its second democratically elected president and with in few weeks after the assassination of the president; Somalia fell in to a military regime after a successful coup by the military led by the late dictator of Siad Barre. Likewise, Eight years after the coup in 1977, Somalia went to war with Ethiopia AGAIN over the Ogadenia region and subsequently Somalia lost the war, anti government rebels were established, armed and funded by the Ethiopians and finally the military government was ousted by various factions in 1991. Since then, the country never recovered from the turmoil.
SO THE QUESTION IS; IS SOMALIA ACTUALLY FREE NOW?
Fifty Nine years after the independence, it is becoming clearer now that HDMS party was right in 1943 when they suggested that FEDERALISM was the only way forward for a long lasting peace and stability in Somalia and the country was not really ready for a complete independence in 1960. Half a century later, Somalia adopted Federal system of governance, the same system that HDMS was badmouthed for and labelled as freedom spoilers.
Somalia could be technically free now according to the low sighted eyes but the reality is Somalia is currently in worse situation than it was in pre-independence. It was clear to all people including infants that Somalia was under colony at the time and all were fighting for independence by any means. But now; Somalia is under moral occupation through a direct but informal colony.
- Somalia is basically under moral colony when their president, prime minister and leading government officers are holding foreign citizenships and can not give them up for the absolute service of their mother country; it is crystal clear that if the interests of the two countries collide; then Somalia will be only the second option for them.
- Somalia is under actual occupation when more than FIFTY THOUSAND troops are in the country guarding the state house, airport and seaport as well as key government buildings with out any near exit plan.
- Somalia is not free when there is another parallel independent government led by EU and their allies in a strictly protected neighbourhood (Halane) in Mogadishu-the capital of Somalia in which even the president of the nation can not get any entry access without an appointment.
- Somalia is far from independent when USA have a very large army base in Beled-dogle airport which accommodates more than 1800 (One thousand and Eight hundred) soldiers without the approval or agreement of any government official. USA seems to own Somalia when they’re in their base, getting off from the airport to attack and kill any one on their will and yet no body holds them responsible and accountable.
- Somalia is never close to freedom when dozens of trucks are driving around between LowerShabelle and Benadir regions in midnight guarded by African soldiers with no single Somali citizen knows what is in the trucks, where they are moving from, what they are exporting and why they only drive in mid night and amusingly why they need a huge guard from the African armoured vehicles??
- Somalia needs more than prayers of independence when Kenya is trying to rob a huge portion of the Somali marine and thus they have their defence forces freely deployed in Somalia while deforesting a whole region of Lower Jubba and illegally exporting charcoal with no government official has any say or effect on them.
What is the solution for Somalia?
Somalia currently needs not infective political parties or failed Diaspora politicians to restore Somali pride but Somalia rather needs a genuine SNM fashioned movement to give up all they have and solely work on restoring the once great nation of Somalia. SNM (Somali National Movement) was a movement consisted of intellectuals, educated people, women, youth, oppressed individuals who gave up all of their belonging and took up arms to get rid of the then military regime of Somalia in 1980s until 1991. These people made that deadly decision after they could no longer tolerate the brutality and ethnic cleansing they suffered from that military regime. SNM might have made some controversial decisions but the bravery, determination and mentality combined with their absolute life dedication is what Somalia currently demands from its real citizens.
SNM might have been triggered by the cruel actions of a regime led by a fellow Somali but what about the situation of Somalia now when it is under real moral and physical occupation. NOW IS THE TIME.
In conclusion, I want to congratulate Puntland and Somaliland for their entire independence while I partially congratulate the southern Somalia or previously Italian Somali land for their technical independence.
Mohamed Yonis