HARGEISA— Sixty-four years ago, it was the day that the Republic of Somaliland gained its independence from the British Empire on June 26, 1960, and it has been there for 63 years now.
June 26, 1960 was the first day that the Somali flag was raised in Hargeisa, and it became the place that led to the birth of freedom and all Somalis were happy for freedom that night on June 26.
On this day, which was the first dawn of the flag adopted by the five Somali peoples, Somaliland got the property that its existence was recognized by 36 countries in the world before it entered into an unconditional union with Southern Somalia after four days. left under the hand of the Italian colonialists on July 1 of the same year.
On June 26, 1960, it was the dawn of Somaliland’s independence, it was the day when it became a free country among the countries of the world, it was the day when there was nothing left of poets and heroes.
It was a day that had been predicted a lot, it was a day for men and women, boys and children to play with, wake up, and celebrate, it was a day when a boy and a girl were born as a native.
The people who were part of the preparations for the celebration of freedom that was held in Hargeisa, among them was the singer Shamis Abokor Ismail (Guduudo Carwo) who was the first Somali woman to sing, and her first song was broadcast on Hargeisa Radio in 1952. During her lifetime, she talked about the struggle for freedom and the flag day that was famous for ‘take this off and put that on’.
Gududo Arwo described what happened on the night of the flag-raising at the freedom park in Hargeisa: “The man who was there is still there, I am happy, I am crying now, that is, it was something else,” she said.
“We thought that all Somalis were forgiven, the nation’s love for each other – God bless Muhammad, the Messenger of God – could not be summed up.”
When it came to the day and night when the two flags were exchanged, the people present including Gududo Carwo said that it was the first time that “a free Somali flag flew over a free Somali land.”
“Thanks be to God who freed us from the British, it was a great joy for us, it was a great joy for the Somali nation everywhere,” she said. .
The people who attended described that day as a day that Somalis have been waiting for.
The city of Hargeisa, which was the center of the British colonial administration in Somaliland, in the weeks before the independence day, the freedom-seeking groups made extensive preparations for the celebration of that day.
That day and night the people did not sleep and they were congratulating each other with happiness, joy and celebration, and this forced the incumbent mayor of Somaliland to leave the country before the official time was reached for the exchange of the two flags.
The ceremony was held at Radio Hargeisa, and people were watching from the hill above the station. But the police had a special concern that the city would be raided, because the people came to him in an open area.
The people did not want to stay away from the mountain and what is going on and the enthusiasm of the people was great.
In a large event attended by the leaders of the freedom struggle and the divided sections of society, there were many people who recited poems and musicians of that time, among whom was the poet Abdullahi Sultan Timada, who was described as a patriot. big, remembered for the famous song “Take this off and put it on”, and other famous men and women.
HargeisaPress Desk