Republican Union (French Somaliland)
Encyclopedia
Republican Union was a political party
in French Somaliland
. It founded by Mahamoud Harbi Farah, a member of the French National Assembly
. The party contested the 1957 territorial assembly election. The party won 61% of the votes in the territory. The party obtained 30 seats in the assembly. After the election Harbi became vice-president of the governing council of the territory. At the time, the party was allied to the African Democratic Rally
. The party advocated the unification of all Somali
-speaking areas into one state.
Harbi and the Republican Union supported full independence in the 1958 referendum. After the referendum had been held (resulting in a defeat for the pro-independentists), pro-French leader Hassan Gouled called for fresh elections to the territorial assembly. Harbi's government was deposed in a no confidence vote and the assembly was dissolved by the French governor Meker.
The Republican Union mobilized protests against the dissolution of the territorial assembly. The protests turned violent. Riots erupted and several persons died. The party was illegalized. The leadership of the party was jailed. Harbi himself went into exile in Cairo
.
In December 1958 five imprisoned Republican Union leaders were released. The party continued to operate illegally. It had good contacts with the Greater Somalia League
.
In 1963, former followers of Harbi founded the Front de Libération de la Côte des Somalis.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in French Somaliland
French Somaliland
French Somaliland was a French colony in the Horn of Africa. Established after the French signed various treaties between 1883 and 1887 with the then ruling Somali Sultans, the colony lasted from 1896 until 1946, when it became an overseas territory of France....
. It founded by Mahamoud Harbi Farah, a member of the French National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
. The party contested the 1957 territorial assembly election. The party won 61% of the votes in the territory. The party obtained 30 seats in the assembly. After the election Harbi became vice-president of the governing council of the territory. At the time, the party was allied to the African Democratic Rally
African Democratic Rally
The African Democratic Rally was a political party in French West Africa, led by Félix Houphouët-Boigny. Founded in Bamako in 1946, the RDA quickly became one of the most important forces for independence in the region. Initially a Pan-Africanist movement, the RDA ceased to function as a...
. The party advocated the unification of all Somali
Somali language
The Somali language is a member of the East Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Its nearest relatives are Afar and Oromo. Somali is the best documented of the Cushitic languages, with academic studies beginning before 1900....
-speaking areas into one state.
Harbi and the Republican Union supported full independence in the 1958 referendum. After the referendum had been held (resulting in a defeat for the pro-independentists), pro-French leader Hassan Gouled called for fresh elections to the territorial assembly. Harbi's government was deposed in a no confidence vote and the assembly was dissolved by the French governor Meker.
The Republican Union mobilized protests against the dissolution of the territorial assembly. The protests turned violent. Riots erupted and several persons died. The party was illegalized. The leadership of the party was jailed. Harbi himself went into exile in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
.
In December 1958 five imprisoned Republican Union leaders were released. The party continued to operate illegally. It had good contacts with the Greater Somalia League
Greater Somalia League
Greater Somalia League was a political party in Somalia. The party was led by Haaji Mahammad Husseen. It was formed by dissidents of the Somali Youth League. The party was fiercely nationalist and called for the unification of all Somali areas into one state. It charged the Somali Youth League with...
.
In 1963, former followers of Harbi founded the Front de Libération de la Côte des Somalis.