1939-1960







Independence, since 1960



A.) Domestic Policy; the Economy

Both Italian Somalia and British Somaliland gained independence in 1960. Within months, the unification of both countries was proclaimed, now forming the UNITED REPUBLIC OF SOMALIA. In 1962, Somalia introduced a new currency, the SCELLINO SOMALI (Somalian Shilling) of 100 Centesimi. A first FIVE YEAR PLAN was launched in 1963, followed by a short term development program 1968-1970, a development program 1971-1973 and another five year plan 1974-1978. In a 1972 language reform the Arab script was replaced by the LATIN ALPHABET.
In 1969, newly elected President ABDIRASHID ALI SHERMARKE was assassinated. After a coup in 1969, new strongman SIAD BARRE dissolved parliament. In 1970, SCIENTIFIC SOCIALISM was declared state ideology. In 1970, certain industries (oil companies, foreign banks etc.) were nationalized; in 1972, health services, private schools, the printing press followed. The SOMALI NATIONAL UNIVERSITY was established in Mogadishu in 1970. A NATIONAL THEATER had been constructed in 1966, with Chinese aid.
The war with Ethiopia over the Ogaden was a huge burden on the country's weak economy. The SAHEL DROUGHT of 1972-1974 had a detrimental impact in the country, as both the population and the livestock herds had considerably expanded over the previous decades. When Soviet aid suddenly ceased after the 1974 coup in Ethiopia, the country faced a serious crisis; In addition to a staggering economy and disappointed expectations, they had to cope with large numbers of refugees. In 1977 West German RAF terrorists hijacked a Lufthansa plane, which after an odyssey, ended up on Mogadishu airport. Somalia's president Siad Barre granted West German special forces permission to liberate the hostages, which they did. From then on, Somalia topped the list of countries receiving financial aid from the West German government. With these credits, for example Somalia's fishing industry was modernized. Once, the Somali-Ethiopian conflict had been part of the cold war. With the breakdown of the Soviet system in 1989/1991, the west's interest to finance such conflicts ended. Somalia found itself in a serious financial crisis; aid the country depended on was sharply reduced.

B.) Foreign Policy

Pan-Somali sentiment aimed at uniting all territories settled by Somalis, including French Somaliland (Djibouti), the Ogaden (Ethiopian) and stretches of Kenya. The Somali government supported ethnic Somalis in Kenya and Ethiopia agitating for or committing acts of violence in order to achieve self-gocernment and eventual unifiCation with Somalia (IRREDENTISM). A first Somali-Ethiopian war over Ogaden was fought 1964-1967.
Siad Barre (since 1969) pursued a pro-Soviet policy; Somalia received military aid from the Soviet Union (archenemy Ethiopia was a client of the USA). War over the Ogaden renewed and the Somali side was able to claim some successes, when a coup brought a pro-Soviet regime in power in Ethiopia. The USSR dropped Somalia, now supporting Ethiopia. Somali forces quickly were expelled from the Ogaden; the war continued until 1994.
The Somali government, socialist, was at a loss regarding how to respond.


C.) Recent Developments

In 1991, president Siad Barre was ousted. The country fell apart in numerous districts controlled by warlords. In 1992 the country experienced a devastating famine. Humanitarian aid organizations found Somalia an extremely difficult terrain to work in, as they were targetted as potential hostages by the various political factions, who also tried to direct the food supplies to their respective clientele. In 1992, UN forces, the most important contingent being from the U.S., landed to establish order. In 1993, UN forces made an attempt to arrest one warlord, Mohammed Farah Aidid; it ended in a disaster. Un forces were withdrawn; Somalia again in the hands of the various warlords. Former British SOMALILAND unilaterally declared it's independence (1994), as did the northern stretch of former Italian Somalia, under the name of PUNTLAND. Both secessionist states lack international recognition.





EXTERNAL
FILES 		Articles from Infoplease : Somalia
Links on Somali history, from mogadiscio.com (click : historical notes), and from Somalinet and from looksmart
Mogadishu from the Past, by Enrico Cerulli
Library of Congress, Country Studies : Somalia
History of the Ogaden, by Salahdin Maow
Somali History, from the Somali Cultural Association in Australia
CASCON Case OGA : Somalia - Ethiopia (Ogaden) 1977-1988, by L.P. Bloomfield, L. Moulton
CASCON Case SEK : Somalia - Ethiopia - Kenya 1960-1964, by L.P. Bloomfield, L. Moulton
DOCUMENTS Documents to the Histoty of the Horn of Africa, from World History Archives
Map of Somalia, from CIA World Factbook, and from the Somali Cultural Association (Australia; map 289 K)
Somalian banknotes, from Ron Wise's World Paper Money
Flag of Somalia, from FOTW
Map showing the area settled by ethnic Somalis (ca. 1980), from Perry Castaneda Library at UTexas, CIA map
Estimates of Victims of Suppression by Siad Barre Regime (1969-1990), posted by Matthew White, scroll down for Somalia
REFERENCE Horn of Poverty, pp.58-59 in : The State of War and Peace Atlas, ed. by Dan Smith, Penguin 1997
Historical Dictionary of Somalia (African Historical Dictionaries Series, No. 6) by Margaret F. Castagno, Scarecrow 1975, 213 pp.
Article : Somalia, in : The World in Figures 1st ed. 1976 pp.94-95 [G]
Article : Somalia, in : The World in Figures 2nd ed. 1978 pp.94-95 [G]
Article : Somalia, in : The World in Figures 4th ed. 1984 pp.93-94 [G]
Article Somali Republic, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1961 p.640 (on events in 1960) [G]
Article Somali Republic, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1962 pp.631-632 (on events in 1961) [G]
Article Somali Republic, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1963 pp.738-739 (on events in 1962) [G]
Article Somali Republic, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1964 pp.754-755 (on events in 1963) [G]
Article Somali Republic, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1965 pp.643-644 (on events in 1964) [G]
Article Somali Republic, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1966 p.690 (on events in 1965) [G]
Article Somali Republic, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1967 p.690 (on events in 1966) [G]
Article Somali Republic, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1968 pp.698-699 (on events in 1967) [G]
Article Somali Republic, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1969 p.681 (on events in 1968) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1970 pp.688-689 (on events in 1969) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1971 pp.673 (on events in 1970) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1972 pp.630-631 (on events in 1971) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1973 p.617 (on events in 1972) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1974 p.620 (on events in 1973) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1975 pp.620-621 (on events in 1974) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1976 pp.617-618 (on events in 1975) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1977 p.617 (on events in 1976) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1978 pp.631-632 (on events in 1977) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1979 pp.625-626 (on events in 1978) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1980 pp.620-621 (on events in 1979) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1981 pp.620-621 (on events in 1980) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1982 pp.623-624 (on events in 1981) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1983 pp.616-617 (on events in 1982) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1984 pp.620-621 (on events in 1983) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1985 pp.473-474, 779 (on events in 1984) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1986 pp.467, 778 (on events in 1985) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1988 pp.397, 698 (on events in 1987) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1989 pp.397, 698 (on events in 1988) [G]
Article Somalia, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1990 pp.414, 714 (on events in 1989) [G]
Article Somalia, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1993 pp.369, 715 (on events in 1992) [G]
Article Somalia, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1994 pp.367-368, 715 (on events in 1993) [G]
Article Somalia, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1995 pp.471, 715 (on events in 1994) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1970-1971 pp.1278-1280 (data of 1969-1970) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1975-1976 pp.1286-1288 (data of 1974-1975) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1978-1979 pp.1060-1063 (data of 1977-1978) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1980-1981 pp.1063-1066 (data of 1979-1980) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1983-1984 pp.1066-1069 (data of 1982-1983) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1984-1985 pp.1063-1066 (data of 1983-1984) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1985-1986 pp.1064-1067 (data of 1984-1985) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1987-1988 pp.1070-1072 (data of 1986-1987) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1988-1989 pp.1074-1076 (data of 1987-1988) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1989-1990 pp.1085-1088 (data of 1988-1989) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1990-1991 pp.1085-1087 (data of 1989-1990) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1991-1992 pp.1088-1090 (data of 1990-1991) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1992-1993 pp.1178-1181 (data of 1991-1992) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1993-1994 pp.1181-1183 (data of 1992-1993) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1994-1995 pp.1186-1190 (data of 1993-1994) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1995-1996 pp.1176-1179 (data of 1994-1995) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1996-1997 pp.1152-1155 (data of 1995-1996) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1997-1998 pp.1154-1156 (data of 1996-1997) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1998-1999 pp.1259-1262 (data of 1997-1998) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 2000 pp.1412-1415 (data of 1998-1999) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 2001 pp.1377-1380 (data of 1999-2000) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 2002 pp.1432-1436 (data of 2000-2001) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 2003 pp.1431-1435 (data of 2001-2002) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 2004 pp.1452-1456 (data of 2002-2003) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Statesman's Yearbook 2005 pp.1461-1466 (data of 2003-2004) [G]
Entry : Republic of Somalia, Cabinet, pp.90-91, in : Countries of the World and their Leaders Yearbook, 2003 [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1961 pp.681-683 (on events of 1960) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1962 pp.688-689 (on events of 1961) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1963 pp.608-609 (on events of 1962) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1964 pp.596-597 (on events of 1963) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1965 pp.631-632 (on events of 1964) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1967 pp.610-611 (on events of 1966) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1968 pp.603-604 (on events of 1967) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1969 p.606 (on events of 1968) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1970 p.615 (on events of 1969) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1971 p.605 (on events of 1970) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1972 p.600 (on events of 1971) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1973 p.602 (on events of 1972) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1976 p.74 (on events of 1975) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1992 p.465 (on events of 1991) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1993 p.468 (on events of 1992) [G]
Article : Somalia, in : Americana Annual 1994 pp.476-477 (on events of 1993) [G]
Somali Republic pp.154-156, in : Year Book and Guide to East Africa 1963 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on May 1st 2008

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