Somali African National Union
Somali African National Union (SANU) (Arabic: الاتحاد الافريقي الوطني الصومالي)[1] was an early political party in Somalia. It represented the coastal Banaadir region.[2]
Somali African National Union الاتحاد الافريقي الوطني الصومالي | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Headquarters | Banaadir |
| Ideology | Somali nationalism |
| Political position | Centre-right |
History
The Somali African Union was established during the pre-independence period. It was originally known as the Hamar Youth Club, and had a predominantly Benadiri constituency. The party was at the time the only political ally of the larger Somali Youth League (SYL). Both parties supported a ten-year trusteeship period during which the Somali territories would be prepared for independence, followed by the re-unification of Somali land in a Greater Somalia. However, the parties emphasized that the Four-Power Commission should administer the transitional trusteeship body rather than the Italian or Ethiopian authorities.[3]
In the 1960s, the Hamar Youth Club changed its name to the Somali African National Union (SANU).[3] SANU and other parties competed for 123 parliament seats, taking part in the Somali parliamentary elections of 1964. In the general elections held in March 1969, it took home 6 seats.[4]
The Somali African National Union later split into several political factions. As of 2001, its acronym was the Somali National Union (SNU).[3]
References
- "Somali African National Union". Markacadeey. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2013.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
- Jama, Hassan Ali. Who Cares About Somalia: Hassan's Ordeal ; Reflections on a Nation's Future. Berlin: Schiler, 2005. p. 131
- Ali, Salah Mohamed (2005). Huddur & the History of Southern Somalia. Nahda Bookshop Publisher. p. 394. ISBN 9789772004997.
- Potholm, Christian P. (1970). Four African political systems. Prentice-Hall. pp. 228–229.
