French Somaliland independence referendum, 1967
Encyclopedia
An independence referendum was held in French Somaliland
on 19 March 1967. It was ordered by then President of France
, General Charles de Gaulle
, in response to rioting and demonstrations upon an official visit he made to the territory the year before.
by and large voting for independence, with the goal of eventual reunion with Somalia
, and the Afars
generally opting to remain associated with France.
However, as with the previous referendum of 1958
, the plebiscite was again marred by reports of vote rigging on the part of the French authorities, with some 10,000 Somalis deported under the pretext that they did not have valid identity cards. According to official figures, although the territory was at the time inhabited by 58,240 Somali and 48,270 Afar, only 14,689 Somali were allowed to register to vote versus 22,004 Afar. Somali representatives also charged that the French had simultaneously imported thousands of Afar nomads from neighboring Ethiopia
to further tip the odds in their favor, but the French authorities denied this, suggesting that Afars already greatly outnumbered Somalis on the voting lists.
Announcement of the plebiscite results was met with civil unrest, including several deaths. France also increased its military force along the frontier.
French Somaliland
French Somaliland was a French colony in the Horn of Africa. Established after the French signed various treaties between 1883 and 1887 with the then ruling Somali Sultans, the colony lasted from 1896 until 1946, when it became an overseas territory of France....
on 19 March 1967. It was ordered by then President of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, General Charles de Gaulle
Charles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
, in response to rioting and demonstrations upon an official visit he made to the territory the year before.
History
Initial results supported a continued but looser relationship with France, with 60.6% of the electorate voting for the status quo on a 95% turnout. Voting was also divided along ethnic lines, with the resident SomalisSomali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
by and large voting for independence, with the goal of eventual reunion with Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, and the Afars
Afar people
The Afar , also known as the Danakil, are an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa. They primarily live in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in northern Djibouti, although some also inhabit the southern point of Eritrea.-Early history:...
generally opting to remain associated with France.
However, as with the previous referendum of 1958
French Somaliland overseas territory referendum, 1958
An independence referendum was held in French Somaliland in September 1958, on the eve of neighboring Somalia's independence in 1960, to decide whether or not to join the Somali Republic or to remain with France.-History:...
, the plebiscite was again marred by reports of vote rigging on the part of the French authorities, with some 10,000 Somalis deported under the pretext that they did not have valid identity cards. According to official figures, although the territory was at the time inhabited by 58,240 Somali and 48,270 Afar, only 14,689 Somali were allowed to register to vote versus 22,004 Afar. Somali representatives also charged that the French had simultaneously imported thousands of Afar nomads from neighboring Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
to further tip the odds in their favor, but the French authorities denied this, suggesting that Afars already greatly outnumbered Somalis on the voting lists.
Announcement of the plebiscite results was met with civil unrest, including several deaths. France also increased its military force along the frontier.
Results
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Remain a territory in the French Republic | 22,555 | 60.60 |
| Independence | 14,666 | 39.40 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 111 | |
| Total | 37,332 | 100 |
| Source: African Elections Database | ||