Editing Somaliland (section)

=== State of Somaliland (Independence) ===
{{Main|State of Somaliland|Independence Day (State of Somaliland)}}

[[File:Somaliland Flying for the first time The White and Blue Somali Flag at the Independence Celebrations on 26 June 1960.jpg|thumb|upright|Somaliland flying the [[Somali Flag]] at the [[Independence Day (State of Somaliland)|Independence]] ceremony on 26 June 1960. The then Prime Minister of the State of Somaliland [[Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal]] salutes the flag.]]

Initially the [[British government]] planned to delay [[protectorate]] of [[British Somaliland]] independence in favour of a gradual transfer of power. The arrangement would allow local politicians to gain more political experience in running the protectorate before official independence. However, strong pan-Somali nationalism and a landslide victory in the earlier elections encouraged them to demand independence and unification with the [[Trust Territory of Somaliland| Trust Territory of Somaliland under Italian Administration]] (the former [[Italian Somaliland]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Central Intelligence Bulletin 26th Feb 1960 |url=https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP79T00975A004900470001-6.pdf |website=CIA |access-date=19 April 2021}}</ref>

In May 1960, the British government stated that it would be prepared to grant independence to the then [[protectorate]] of British Somaliland, with the intention that the territory would unite with the Italian-administered Trust Territory of Somaliland.<ref name="0JY3U">{{cite web|url=http://www.somalilandlaw.com/Somaliland_Act_of_Union.htm|title=SOMALILAND & SOMALIA: THE 1960 ACT OF UNION – An early lesson for Somaliland|website=Somaliland Law|access-date=19 February 2018}}</ref> The Legislative Council of British Somaliland passed a resolution in April 1960 requesting independence and union with the Trust Territory of Somaliland, which was scheduled to gain independence on 1 July that year. The legislative councils of both territories agreed to this proposal following a joint conference in [[Mogadishu]].<ref name="wardheernews.com">{{cite web |url=http://wardheernews.com/Articles_09/June/Roobdoon_Forum/29_Independence_week_series.html |title=Somali Independence Week – Roobdoon Forum June 21, 2009 |access-date=25 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928052641/http://wardheernews.com/Articles_09/June/Roobdoon_Forum/29_Independence_week_series.html |archive-date=28 September 2011 }}</ref>
On 26 June 1960, the former British Somaliland protectorate briefly obtained independence as the State of Somaliland, with the Trust Territory of Somaliland following suit five days later.<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica 2002 p.835" /> During its brief period of independence, the [[State of Somaliland]] garnered recognition from thirty-five sovereign states.<ref name="Kaplan257">{{cite journal|last1=Kaplan|first1=Seth|title=The Remarkable Story of Somaliland|journal=Journal of Democracy|date=July 2008|volume=19|issue=3 |page=257|doi=10.1353/jod.0.0009 |s2cid=153442685 |url=http://www.sethkaplan.org/doc/JOD,%20Democratization%20in%20Africa%20chapter%203.10.pdf|access-date=6 August 2017|archive-date=7 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807065437/http://www.sethkaplan.org/doc/JOD,%20Democratization%20in%20Africa%20chapter%203.10.pdf}}</ref> However, the United States merely acknowledged Somaliland's independence:

<blockquote>The United States did not extend formal recognition to Somaliland, but Secretary of State Herter sent a congratulatory message dated June 26 to the Somaliland Council of Ministers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1958-60v14/d62 |title=Editorial Note |work=Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Africa, Volume XIV |publisher=United States Department of State |access-date=30 March 2022}}</ref></blockquote>

The following day, on 27 June 1960, the newly convened Somaliland Legislative Assembly approved a bill that would formally allow for the union of the State of Somaliland with the Trust Territory of Somaliland on 1 July 1960.<ref name="wardheernews.com" />