Republican Union (French: Union republicaine) was a political party in French Somaliland. It founded by Mahamoud Harbi Farah, a member of the French National Assembly. The party contested the 1957 territorial assembly election. The party won 61% of the votes in the territory. The party obtained 30 seats in the assembly. After the election Harbi became vice-president of the governing council of the territory. At the time, the party was allied to the African Democratic Rally. The party advocated the unification of all Somali-speaking areas into one state.
Harbi and the Republican Union supported full independence in the 1958 referendum. After the referendum had been held (resulting in a defeat for the pro-independentists), pro-French leader Hassan Gouled called for fresh elections to the territorial assembly. Harbi's government was deposed in a no confidence vote and the assembly was dissolved by the French governor Meker.
The Republican Union mobilized protests against the dissolution of the territorial assembly. The protests turned violent. Riots erupted and several persons died. The party was illegalized. The leadership of the party was jailed. Harbi himself went into exile in Cairo.
In December 1958 five imprisoned Republican Union leaders were released. The party continued to operate illegally. It had good contacts with the Greater Somalia League.
Greater Somalia League
Greater Somalia League was a political party in Somalia. The party was led by Haaji Mahammad Husseen. It was formed by dissidents of the Somali Youth League. The party was fiercely nationalist and called for the unification of all Somali areas into one state. It charged the Somali Youth League with now wanting the unification of Somalia. Haaji Mahammad Husseen and a group of his followers were arrested after violent protests and put to trial.
The party boycotted the 1958 municipal election, charging harassment from the SYL. It also boycotted the 1959 elections.
The party had good relations with the Republican Union in French Somaliland.
