The Trust Territory of Somaliland, officially the Trust Territory of Somaliland under Italian Administration (Italian: Amministrazione fiduciaria italiana della Somalia), was a United Nations Trust Territory from 1950 to 1960, following the dissolution of the former British Military Administration. It was administered by Italy before gaining independence. It covered most of present-day Somalia and its capital was Mogadishu.
In 1941, Italian Somaliland was occupied by British and South African troops as part of the East African Campaign of World War II. The British continued to administer the area until 1 April 1950. On that date, former Italian Somaliland was made a Trust Territory, as stipulated by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 289 of 21 November 1949.
The Somali Youth League (the main force in the country driving for independence) fiercely opposed the transfer of Somalia back to Italian control and accused Britain of bartering with the country in order to appease Italy. Of all of Italy's demands to manage its former colonies under Trusteeships, only the former Italian Somaliland was accepted. This was also the only case of a trusteeship being assigned to a defeated Second World War power.
Advocating for the trusteeship on behalf of the U.S. government, American ambassador Philip Jessup argued that because the Somali were largely pastoral, "We can hardly expect these people to be in a position to determine for themselves what means might best assure their achievement of self government and independence..." Various member states of the United Nations pushed back against the planned 10 years of trusteeship, with Poland proposing a reduction to 3 years and Ethiopia voting against the trusteeship entirely. Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie expressed a keen interest in the territory, which his government deemed a 'lost province'. The Ethiopian Empire claimed Banaadir, which encompasses Mogadishu, as well as the adjacent Indian Ocean coastline, rightfully belonged to it based on 'historical grounds'. Ethiopia submitted a memorandum to the UN, contending that prior to the era of European colonialism, their empire had encompassed all of the former Italian Somaliland.
The decision to put Somalia back under the control of its former colonial ruler was highly controversial as Somalis widely felt that the Trust Territory was being established for Italian interests.
Before the Italians returned to Somalia, the Somali Youth League held a major summit in order to formulate a common policy and unified attitude toward the Trusteeship government. It was initially decided to launch an armed resistance, but after serious deliberation the league came to the conclusion that a more temperate course would be better for Somali citizens. Following the summit's conclusion the SYL delivered a paper to the chief Italian administrator explaining its position. The League informed the administration that it would continue to agitate for independence and expressed hope that the new government would not resist SYL efforts. It was made clear that the organization was willing to cooperate with the Trusteeship authorities if they reciprocated. The League demanded that Arabic be made the official language of the Trusteeship instead of Italian and further requested that Italian government not bring back officials from the fascist era.
Formation of Trusteeship administration
Italy did not possess the financial resources to administer the territory effectively as the Italian economy had largely collapsed in the wake of WWII. It was receiving aid from the Marshall Plan itself and as a result formed the administration of the Trusteeship with an inadequate budget.
Most of the Italian officials selected to run the administration were members of the old Ministry of Colonial Affairs, arousing resentment and alarm in Somalia and neighbouring Ethiopia. Most concerning to many people was the reappointment of former fascist Governor Copasso of Upper Jubba to the same position he had held in the colonial era. The Trust Territory was widely believed to have been a haven for fascists fleeing post war persecution in Italy.
In an attempt to mollify Somali fears, an advisory council was created composed of an Egyptian, Colombian and Filipino representative who would report to the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations on developments in the territory. Many Somalis who lived through the League of Nations mandate era believed the Colombian and Filipino representatives were going along or outright working with Italian interests. The Egyptian representative was by contrast viewed positively for clashing with his colleagues over the Trusteeship's conduct.
The currency of the Trusteeship was the Somalo. It was coined by the Bank of Italy for the Cassa per la Circolazione Monetaria della Somalia (the Trusteeship's central bank). The Somalo was replaced in 1962 with the Somali shilling.
Italian was chosen as the primary official language during the mandate, though Somali was also an official language. Arabic was also widely spoken. Somali was then written using an Arabic script, not adopting the Latin script until 1972.
On 1 April 1950, the Amministrazione fiduciaria italiana della Somalia (AFIS) began its rule. A deployment of 6,500 troops landed in Somalia to assist the establishment of AFIS under the leadership of Giovanni Fornari. Fornari's three year tenure would mark the most difficult years of the Trusteeship. Professor I.M. Lewis maintained that to Somalis, the large Italian army presence deployed at the start of the mandate, "...gave the handover much the character of a military occupation."
Fornari Administration (1950–1953)
According to Italian journalist and historian Angelo Del Boca in report for Corriere della Sera, almost all officials Italy had chosen to govern AFIS were from "colonial-fascist" backgrounds. Giacomo Bona, the local secretary of the Christian Democrats in Mogadishu, warned party headquarters in Rome that there had been large resurgence in fascism in Somalia following the creation of the Trust Territory. The Somali Youth League (SYL) publicly decried the Trusteeship government as being "infested with fascists" and further charged that AFIS was providing those fleeing post-war persecution with a veneer of legitimacy. The newly appointed Governor Copasso, a former fascist administrator in Italian Somaliand, actively sought to delegitimize and discredit the Somali Youth League in an attempt to extend Italian rule from 10 to 30 years. The large fascist presence in AFIS led to the government being popularly referred to as Ancora Fascisti Italiani in Somalia (Still Italian fascists in Somalia).
The first half of AFIS's decade-long rule would be marked by animosity and conflict between the Italian authorities and the Somali Youth League. Numerous SYL officials who had gained positions of prominence during the era of British Military Administration were either demoted, removed from their positions or imprisoned by Italians officials. These attempts to marginalize the league would lead to demonstrations across the country which were strongly repressed by the government, who had at the time come to decision not cooperate or concede to the SYL's plans. Abdirazak Haji Hussein, future prime minister of the Somali Republic, would be severely beaten and arrested by Italian authorities in 1950. Due to the heavy handed and militaristic conduct of AFIS, the SYL would widely come to regard the body as an occupying force. Somali Youth League member Abdulahi Issa, future prime minister of the territory, would argue that the presence of Somalia's former colonial ruler was one of the main obstacle to democratic and peaceful development.
Already underfunded, the AFIS budget was reduced by 25% in 1951. Giovanni Fornari, head of AFIS, would protest to Rome that the cut threatened AFIS's ability to function. Due to fiscal pressures, the size of the Italian military contingent deployed to Somalia was rapidly reduced in size in 1951 and 1952. According to Italian politician and journalist Ernesto Rossi, the salaries and privileges afforded to fascist employees of the Trusteeship administration were exorbitantly high and consequently strongly effected the annual budget.