Somali Republic: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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At independence, the northern region had two functioning political parties: the SNL, representing the [[Isaaq]] clan-family that constituted a numerical majority there; and the USP, supported largely by the [[Dir (clan)|Dir]] and the [[Daarood]].<ref name=":0" /> In a unified Somalia, however, the Isaaq were a small minority, whereas the northern Daarood joined members of their clan-family from the south in the SYL.<ref name=":0" /> The Dir, having few kinsmen in the south, were pulled on the one hand by traditional ties to the [[Hawiye]] and on the other hand by common regional sympathies to the Isaaq.<ref name=":0" /> The southern opposition party, the [[Greater Somalia League]] (GSL), pro-Arab and militantly [[Pan-Somalism|pan-Somalist]], attracted the support of the SNL and the USP against the SYL, which had adopted a moderate stand before independence.<ref name=":0" />

Northern misgivings about being too tightly harnessed to the south were demonstrated by the voting pattern in the [[Somali constitutional referendum, 1961|June 1961 referendum on the constitution]], which was in effect Somalia's first national election.<ref name=":0" /> Although the draft was overwhelmingly approved in the south, it was supported by less than 5020 percent of the northern electorate .<ref name=":0" />

Dissatisfaction at the distribution of power among the clan families and between the two regions boiled over in December 1961, when a group of British-trained junior army officers in the north rebelled in reaction to the posting of higher ranking southern officers (who had been trained by the Italians for police duties) to command their units.<ref name=":0" /> The ringleaders urged a separation of north and south.<ref name=":0" /> Northern non-commissioned officers arrested the rebels, but discontent in the north persisted.<ref name=":0" />