Last modified: 2002-11-30 by jarig bakker
Keywords: somaliland | somalia | kudu | shahada | star: black |
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![[1996 Somaliland flag]](../images/s/so-mln96.gif)
by J.J.Andersson, 7 Mar 2002
Flag adopted 14 Oct 1996, coat of arms
adopted (unknown)
"The new Somaliland flag has been introduced on 14 October 1996, the opening day of the National Conference. The flag had been approved earlier by the National Conference."
The five points of the star stand for the five either historical areas
of Somalia or the five areas where Somalis live - IIRC they are the two
Somalias now (however tenuous) united, the eastern part of Ethiopia (Ogden?),
Djibouti, and E. Kenya? This is probably one of the only flags I can think
of that expressly states its designs on other nations territory. Another
is the Bolivian ensign - it's simple existence states Bolivia's long standing
claim for sea access, currently held by Chile.
David Kendall, 21 March 1997
The star symbolizes to Somali people, and the five branches: Ogaden,
Issas (Djibuti), North Somalia (British Somaliland), East Somalia (Italian
Somalia), and the Somalis of North Kenya.
Jaume Ollé, 23 March 1997
I include a link to the official
website of Somaliland government with a correct flag.
From the constitution:
Article 7: The Flag, the Emblem and the National Anthem
The flag of the Republic of Somaliland shall consist of three horizontal,
parallel and equal sections, the top section of which is
coloured green and has inscribed in its midst in white in Arabic language
(the phrase) La Ilaaho Ila-Allaah Muhammad Rasuulah-Allaah (There
is no God, but Allah and Mohammad was his Prophet); the middle section
is white and has inscribed in its midst an equally sided five pointed black
star; and the bottom section is coloured clear red.
J.J.Andersson, 7 Mar 2002
I was reading and surfing your site (FOTW). concerning the new or current
Somaliland flag (green, white and red with Shahada and black star). I was
lucky to have been in Hargaysa, Somaliland capital, in 1996 just before
the re-elaction of the late Somaliland president, Mr.M.I.Egal. The flag
that you have seen around 1990 on that videotape belonged to the SNM (Soamliland
National Movement). SNM was the rebel front which started the long war
of Somaliland liberation against the former dictator of Somalia, Ziad Barre.
The flag was made of horizontal red, white and green with the Shahada on
the white stripe but without black star. At that time, more than 10 years
ago, Mr Egal was not even in the country. There was no single political
party. The only political and military organization ruling the country
was the SNM. This group was supported by the people of Somaliland. So,
after the second flag (white square and green disk), the Somaliland Parliament
decided to adopt a new and meaningful flag, in memory of the fallen SNM
heroes, the parliament decided to adopt the flag of the movement SNM, but
with the changes. They put the screen on top, white in the middle, red
at the bottom with the Sahahda on the green and a black star on the white
stripe.
The meaning of the flag is:
Green =Prosperity
White=Peace
Red=The blood of the fallen heroes of the liberation.
Shahada=Islam
Black star= The demise of the united Somalia's dream.
So this flag did not belong to any party but to the SNM that Mr Egal
wasn't even a member of and by the way Mr.Egal passed away on May 2002
in Pretoria, South Africa and buried at his home port city of Berbera.
The new president, former Vice-president of Egal, is Mr. Dahir Riyaaleh
Kahin.
Hassan Houssein, 27 Jun 2002
On JJ's site
it is stated that the Somaliland flag was adopted in 1997.
Jarig Bakker, 27 Nov 2002
![[Somaliland emblem]](../images/s/so)mln96.jpg)
image from this
website, reported by J.J.Andersson, 7 Mar 2002
![[Earlier Somaliland flag]](../images/s/so-mlan.gif)
by Steve Stringfellow, 5 Sep 1996
The old flag of Somaliland is plain white with a green disk in the center.
Around the disk the shahada in black (in a very un-calligraphic way).
Harald Müller, 3 Jul 1996
The current Somaliland flag may have been introduced after the proclamation
of independence on 1991-05-18, because I have seen some images of the independence
proclamation (unclear images on a TV documentary) and the flag hoisted
was horizontal red, white, green in propotions 1:2:1). Perhaps this was
the Party flag (or an version of it) of the current president Egal.
Jaume Ollé, 30 Sep 1996
Somaliland has just this year issued a new 50 Shilling note and four
commemorative notes celebrating its "Fifth Year of Independence". All the
currency of Somaliland features its coat of arms - the Kudu (?) that was
the emblem used on its old British colonial ensign.
Don Healy, 2 Jul 1996
The Republic of Somaliland (which isn't recognized as independent by the independent nations) has a National Charter (Constitution). In Article 1 - Section D and E - are described the national symbols of the republic. It's not yet known when the National Charter went into force.
Article 1
(...)
D. The National Flag of Somaliland is white in colour with a green
circle in its centre, encircling the green circle and written in Arabic
is the attestation to the one-ness of God, 'There is no God but ALLAH and
MOHAMMED is his messenger'.
E. The National Emblem is a FALCON which is brown in colour. Emblazoned
on the chest of the falcon and written in Arabic is the caption 'GOD IS
GREAT'. The FALCON carries on its head a weighing scale which is black
in colour. Beneath the weighing scale, two hands in a friendly shake are
shown. Along the side of the FALCON and in a semi-circle fashion, two Green
Boughs connected at the bottom with a decorative bow-tie [sic] are shown.
Above the FALCON and in the space between the tip of the Green Boughs a
caption written in Arabic reads 'In the Name of ALLAH, the Most Compassionate,
the Most Merciful'.
(...)
Source: The book - in preparation - by Pascal Vagnat and Jos Poels:
Constitutions.
What they tell us about national symbols.
Jos Poels, 2 Oct 1996
The chart Flags of Aspirant Peoples
shows:
25. "Somaliland Republic - North Somalia." Similar to above (1991-96
flag), with more inscriptions
Ivan Sache, 12 Sep 1999
Having watched a documentary on BBC2 about a guy tracing the Victorian explorer Richard Burton's tracks across northern Somalia, i.e. the area that declared itself independent as the Republic of Somaliland in 1991: The programme ended with a short bit filmed in Hargeisa, the capital, saying how Somaliland had established itself as a stable and democratic state, even if unrecognised by the rest of the world.
Anyway, I was keeping my eyes peeled for the Somaliland flag, and it
was shown twice, once flying and once hanging behind the platform at the
Somaliland parliament. The principle difference of both depicted flags
from the one above was that the Shahada is much smaller than on Mark Sensen's
image, separated from the top and bottom edges of the green stripe by borders
equal to half the height of the script and no more wider than twice the
width of the black star, possibly a bit less.
Roy Stilling, 13 Jul 2000
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