Jacaylbaro Posted June 4, 2011 A GALE of constitutional change is blowing through the Horn of Africa. On February 17th, British Somaliland had a general election, the second ever held in the protectorate, and a party of swift change won a decisive victory. Elected Somali members now dominate a Legislative Council that three years ago did not even exist. The timetable for independence has been written in New York, not in Whitehall. In 1950, the United Nations set a term of ten years on Italy’s trusteeship of Somalia, and in June the Italians make their unreluctant exit. The British can only follow. The Somalis are determined that they should go, and there is indeed no earthly reason for hanging on—beyond responsibility for what is left behind. Somalia and Somaliland start off with roughly the same disadvantages; both are harsh, hot lands of sand and rock without water, known mineral wealth, industry or anything else that makes life easy. But the Italian trust territory has had a clear political lead over the protectorate for which, indirectly, it can thank Mussolini and his imperial dreams. The British military caretakers who took over Somalia during the war exerted themselves to decontaminate the territory from fascist influence by an educational programme that was considerably ahead of anything suggested for the protectorate. Then the Italians came back, uncluttered by other colonial commitments, and more immediately aware than the British that they were working to a fierce timetable. FULL ARTICLE: http://www.economist.com/node/9097277 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
