Somaliland, officially known as the State of Somaliland (), was a sovereign and independent country that existed for five days in 1960. It gained independence from the United Kingdom on 26 June 1960 and on 1 July 1960, together with the Trust Territory of Somaliland which gained independence from Italy and ended its UN trusteeship under Italian administration on the same day, they formed the Somali Republic. Somalia
History
Initially the British government planned to delay the protectorate of British Somaliland independence in favour of a gradual transfer of power. The arrangement would allow local politicians to gain more political experience in running the protectorate before official independence. However, strong pan-Somali nationalism and a landslide victory in the earlier elections encouraged them to demand independence and unification with the Trust Territory of Somaliland under Italian Administration.
The British stated that it would be prepared to grant independence to the then protectorate of British Somaliland, with the intention that the territory would unite with the Trust Territory of Somaliland. The Legislative Council of British Somaliland passed a resolution in April 1960 requesting independence and union with the Trust Territory of Somaliland, which was scheduled to gain independence on 1 July that year. The legislative councils of both territories agreed to this proposal following a joint conference in Mogadishu.
Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal, who had previously served as an unofficial member of the former British Somaliland protectorate's Executive Council and the leader of Government Business in the Legislative Council, became the prime minister of Somaliland.Paolo Contini, The Somali Republic: an experiment in legal integration, (Routledge, 1969), p.6.
On 26 June 1960, the former British Somaliland protectorate obtained independence as Somaliland.Encyclopædia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica, (Encyclopædia Britannica: 2002), p.835 The following day, on 27 June 1960, the newly convened Somaliland Legislative Assembly passed a bill that would formally allow for the union of Somaliland with the Trust Territory of Somaliland, which was set for independence on 1 July 1960.
There were also fears of clashes with populations in Ethiopia.
Following unification on 1 July 1960, a government was formed by Abdullahi Issa, with Abdulcadir Muhammed Aden as President of the Somali National Assembly, Aden Abdullah Osman Daar as President and Abdirashid Ali Shermarke as Prime Minister, later to become President (from 1967 to 1969). On 20 July 1961, and through a popular referendum, the Somali people ratified a new constitution, which was first drafted in 1960.Greystone Press Staff, The Illustrated Library of The World and Its Peoples: Africa, North and East, (Greystone Press: 1967), p.338 The constitution was widely regarded as unfair in the former Somaliland, however, and over 60% of the northern voters were against it in the referendum. Regardless, it was signed into law. Widespread dissatisfaction spread among the north's population, and British-trained officers attempted a revolt to end the union in December 1961. Their uprising failed, and Somaliland continued to be marginalized by the south during the next decades.
Diplomatic recognition During its existence, Somaliland received international recognition from 33 countries, that included the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Ghana, Israel, Libya and the Soviet Union.
Queen Elizabeth II sent the following message to the people of Somaliland to mark independence day:
The United States Secretary of State Christian Herter sent a congratulatory message, and the United Kingdom signed several bilateral agreements with Somaliland in Hargeisa on June 26, 1960.
United States Secretary of State Christian Herter sent the following letter:
Governance Constitution of Somaliland
The system of governance for Somaliland was established by the Constitution of Somaliland which was enacted by the Somaliland Order in Council 1960 (SI 1960/1060) made by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom on 23 June 1960.
The Order in Council explicitly stated that "Somaliland shall become an independent country on the 26 day of June, 1960" and that British protection over Somaliland would lapse on the same date. The introduction to the constitution defined Somaliland's territory as being all the territory of the British Somaliland Protectorate.
The constitution established three branches of government following the Westminster system:
The Council of Ministers which was led by the Prime Minister and included four other ministers. The Legislative Assembly which had 34 members and was presided over by a Speaker. The High Court which was made up of a number of Judges determined by the Council of Ministers.
Prime Minister of Somaliland Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal was the first and only holder of the office.
PortraitNameElectionTerm of officeTook officeLeft officeTime in office 1 Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal 1960 26 June 1960 1 July 1960
Somaliland Council of Ministers The Council of Ministers had five members:
Name DesignationMohamed Ibrahim Egal Prime MinisterGarad Ali Garad Jama MinisterAhmed Haji Dualeh MinisterHajji Yusuf Iman Minister Hajji Ibrahim Nur Minister
Somaliland Legislative Assembly
The Somaliland Legislative Assembly had 33 members (MLAs), including an ex-officio Speaker. Members of the legislative assembly were elected in February 1960 from 33 single-member constituencies.Dolf Sternberger, Bernhard Vogel, Dieter Nohlen & Klaus Landfried (1978) Die Wahl der Parlamente: Band II: Afrika, Zweiter Halbband, p1926
Party MLAsSomali National League 20National United Front 1United Somali Party 12Speaker 1Total 34
Use as a legal precedent for the Republic of Somaliland
Today's re-established Republic of Somaliland functions as a de facto independent state and regards itself as the legal successor to the State of Somaliland. However, unlike the former State of Somaliland, it has not gained widespread diplomatic recognition as a country, instead being treated as an autonomous region within Somalia. "The Somali Republic shall have the following boundaries. (a) North; Gulf of Aden. (b) North West; Djibouti. (c) West; Ethiopia. (d) South south-west; Kenya. (e) East; Indian Ocean." As of 26 December 2025, Israel is the only United Nations member state that recognises the Republic of Somaliland as an independent sovereign state.
References
Works cited
External links Somaliland Order in Council (S.I. No. 1060 of 1960) - legislation.gov.uk 1960 Constitution of Somaliland Agreements made between the Government of the United Kingdom and the Government of Somaliland on 26 June 1960 The Somali Republic: an experiment in legal integration by Paolo Contini—leader of the UN Consultative Commission for Integration, which oversaw the union of the former State of Somaliland and the Trust Territory of Somaliland.