Independence and union, 26 June – 1 July 1960

What happened

• February 1960. In northern elections, the Somali National League and its ally the United Somali Party won 32 of 33 seats, on a platform of union (Library of Congress).
• April 1960. Northern and southern leaders met in Mogadishu and agreed on a single state with an elected president and a 123-member assembly (same source).
• 26 June 1960. British Somaliland became independent (Library of Congress; Britannica).
• 1 July 1960. The trust territory became independent, and the two territories united as the Somali Republic. Aadan Abdullah Usmaan (Aden Abdullah Osman) became president and Abdirashiid Ali Shermaarke prime minister, in a government of the Somali Youth League and the Somali National League (Library of Congress; Britannica).
• 1 July 1960. "Soomaaliyeey toosoo" was sung at independence (Soomaaliyeey toosoo).
• 1961. The new constitution kept the aim of uniting Somali territories "by legal and peaceful means" (Library of Congress).

What came next

The UN's Contini commission tried to merge two legal and administrative systems after the union. In the June 1961 vote on the constitution, support in the north was under 50%. In December 1961 northern officers attempted a coup (Library of Congress).

Who carried the banner

The SYL and the Somali National League, the United Somali Party, the National United Front, and the people of both territories who chose union. 1 July is still celebrated by Somalis everywhere.

What this era moved forward

Two of the five Somali territories became free and joined by agreement into one republic. It was the first time in history that Somalis of north and south chose to form one state together.

What the historians record

The union was agreed in April 1960, before the two legal, tax, police, school and currency systems had been merged. The Library of Congress records northern bitterness and a sense of being let down in the years that followed (Library of Congress).

Sources differ

Somaliland today argues that its five days of independence in 1960 and the way the Act of Union was made give it a legal basis to stand alone. The federal government, the African Union and most states hold that the union stands. This is a live question, and we set out both positions without deciding it.

Why it matters

1960 shows what Somalis can do when they choose unity together. It also shows that how a union is built matters as much as the decision to unite.