Pan-Somali Nationalism, Petitions to UNO:
Haji Farah Ali Omar, the eloquent representative of the Issa clan, delivered his famous speech before the United Nations Trusteeship Council in Lake Success, New York, USA.
Here are the key points:
· Body: He addressed the UN Trusteeship Council. This was the main UN organ overseeing the administration of trust territories, making it the most logical and impactful forum for his petition.
· Location: At the time, the United Nations headquarters was temporarily located in Lake Success, New York, a village on Long Island. The UN operated from this location from 1946 to 1951 before moving to its permanent home in Manhattan.
· Date: The speech was delivered during the Council’s Fifth Session in 1948.
Context and Significance of the Speech
His appearance was part of a larger effort by Somali groups, most notably the Somali Youth League (SYL), to lobby the UN against the return of Italian administration and for the creation of a “Greater Somalia.”
Haji Farah Ali Omar’s specific mission was to argue for the inclusion of French Somaliland (now Djibouti) into this proposed unified Somali state. His speech is legendary for its powerful and clear articulation of Somali national identity and the desire for self-determination.
A key and often-cited excerpt from his speech illustrates this point:
“We are Somalis first and Muslims second. We wish to be united with our brethren in the same territory. We have the same culture, the same language, and the same religion. We are not interested in being divided among different administrations. What we want is to be united and to be given our independence.”
This statement was a direct rebuttal to French arguments that their territory was distinct and multi-ethnic (with Afar and Somali populations) and should remain separate. He passionately advocated for the principle of national unification based on a common Somali identity.
His delivery of this speech in the chamber of the UN Trusteeship Council itself marks a pivotal moment where the voice of Somali nomadic pastoralists was heard directly on the world stage, arguing for their political future.
Document submitted (reprint):
PETITION FROM THE ISSA SOMALIS
DATED 22ND JAN 1948.
TO:
THE FOUR POWERS COMMISSION OF INVESTIGATION.
MOGADISHU. SOMALIA.
WE, THE ISSA PEOPLE, ARE CUT UP AND DIVIDED AMONG THREE SOVEREIGN POWERS — ETHIOPIA, FRANCE AND GREAT BRITAIN. OUR GRAZING AND WATER RIGHTS WITHIN THE AREA HELD BY THESE POWERS ARE COVERED AND PROVIDED FOR UNDER TREATIES. WE NOW REALISE, THAT OUR ECONOMIC LIFE CANNOT IMPROVE AND WE CANNOT ADVANCE SOCIALLY, OR POLITICALLY WHILST WE ARE BROKEN UP BY THREE DEFACTO FRONTIERS; AND AS LONG AS WE REMAIN SEPERATED FROM OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR RACE .
WE ARE SOMALIS AND SHARE THE SAME LANGUAGE AND RELIGION WITH OTHERS SOMALIS, WE INTER-MARRY FREELY AND HAVE THE SAME MODE OF LIFE.
IT IS OUR FIRM DESIRE TO BE JOINED TO THE OTHER SOMALILANDS, WE ARE CONVINCED THAT OUR PRESENT STATE IS RUINOUS TO OUR FUTURE AND WELFARE, WE CAN FORM A GEOGRAPHICAL AND RACIAL ENTITY ONLY WITH A UNITED SOMALILAND.
TODAY AFTER SIXTY YEARS OCCUPATION, THE ISSA SOMALIS IN BRITISH SOMALILAND AND FRENCH SOMALILAND HAVE NO IMPROVEMENTS TO SHOW IN DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION OR ECONOMIC WELL-BEING. AS TO THE ETHIOPIAN GOVERNEMENT, THE AMHARAS DESPISE US AS MUSLIM, THEY EXERCISE THEIR AUTHORITY WITH VERY HARSH HAND, THEY DENY US FREEDOM OF SPEECH, NO ATTENTION IS PAID TO OUR GRIEVANCES.
THERE HAS BEEN NO EXPENDITURE ON OUR EDUCATION OR WELFARE. WE HAVE NO VOICE IN THE GOVERNEMENT. WE ARE THE POSITION OF A BACKWARD PEOPLE SUBJECT TO A BACKWARD 《ALIEN》GOVERNEMENT WHICH HAS NO SYMPATHY FOR US AND WISHES TO KEEP US FOR EVER SUBORDINATE TO THEM. THE RULERS HAVE NO RACIAL, CULTURAL OR RELIGIOUS AFFINITY WITH US.WE DO NOT EVEN SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE.
IT IS OUR CONSIDERED AND CONFIRMED RESOLVE TO BE UNITED WITH OUR BROTHER SOMALIS UNDER THE PROTECTION AND GUIDANCE OF A GOVERNEMENT WHICH CAN DEVELOP OUR COUNTRY AND GIVE US THE MODERN EDUCATION AND TRAINING NECESSARY UNTIL WE CAN TAKE OVER THE ADMINISTRATION OF OUR COUNTRY.
HARAR IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR TERRITORY. IT IS AN IMPORTANT ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL LINK BETWEEN THE SOMALIS OF WEST. AS HARAR IS AN IMPORTANT ECONOMIC UNIT IN OUR TERRITORY WE DESIRE ITS INCORPORATION INTO A GREAT SOMALILAND AS SUCH AN INCORPORATION IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, SULTAN CHIEFS AND SHEIKHS OF ISSA SOMALIS DO HEREBY SOLEMNLY SUBMIT THIS PETITION AND AFFIX OUR SIGNATURES AND MARKS THERETO.
1. UGAS HASSAN HERSI , SULTAN OF THE ISSA. (Ogaas)
2. ADAN KAWALE
(Kawalieh)
3. HAJI ISMAIL NUR
4. HAJI ISMAIL AWALEH
5. ALI ABUBAKAR
6. HUSSEIN OSMAN
7. AHMED GAIT
(?) Gaidh?
8. HAJI ABDI ALI
9. BULALI AINANSH
(Bullaleh Ainanshe)
10. OMAR GALEH
(Guelleh)
11. ALAWI KAMIL AQI
(?) Aqil?
12. ALI BORE
13. KADI DONALE ISSA
(Dualeh)
14. HAJI JUMALI IBRAHIM
(Jama)
15. ABDULLA GADID.
