Somalia's Economy during the Colonial Era
Italian Somaliland had the plan to create a successful economy for their arable land, unlike British Somaliland who was neglected from this. Under colonial power in Somalia, two major economic developments were made. Italian Somaliland established plantations in the river filled region. Another development was the creation of more of a professional middle class that earned a salary. Italian Somaliland created the plantations and irrigation methods that formed their agricultural sytem, which led to the export of crops. These plantations produced bananas, sugar, and cotton. The Italian government made the Royal Banana Plantation Monopoly which controlled all activities of banana exports. Another crop, cotton, did not do as well as the investment in bananas. Thankfully, sugarcane was much more successful; mainly because it was raised for domestic consumption. Most Somalis refused to work on farms for wage labor, causing labor shortages throughout the plantations. Because of this, the Italians paid wages to agricultural families to do the job of planting and harvesting export crops. This created a relatively successful work force.
This picture depicts Somalis working on a banana plantation.
Daily Life in Colonial Somalia/ Effects of Imperialist Power (primary source)
“The Somalis are divided among five administrations. In French Somaliland the number is very small, about 10,000; in the British Somaliland Protectorate, about 600,000; in Ogaden—Ethiopian territory—about 400,000 ; in former Italian Somalia, now United Nations Trust territory, 1,200,000 , and in Kenya about 50,000 or about 60,000.”
Due to Somalia being divided, the Somali tribes were split into protectorates based on the nation that imperialized them. There were three major states. They were British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland, and French Somaliland. Ethnic groups in Somalia were separated, due to the imperial powers' territory.
“The towns are few and the populations are not large. Djibouti has about 30,000 ; Berbera about 20,000, and Mogadiscio about 70,000. The Somalis travel very widely as seamen and traders ; they are to be found in Aden, Jeddah, and along the Red Sea coast, Cardiff, Liverpool, London, New York, Bombay, and in all sorts of unexpected places. They return very happily, most of them, to their nomad life, with stories of the outside world and wearing gay clothes ; they are very fond of highly-coloured blazers, and they like showing themselves off. You have probably seen them in places like Aden promenading with a stick across their shoulders and their arms hanging over the ends.”
There were not too many towns and the towns of Somalia tended to have small populations. The ratio of human beings to animals was massive. There were about 600,000 camels and about 2-3 million sheep. During the time of colonization in Somalia, Somali seamen and traders would be traveling all around the world, in many unexpected areas, such as London and world leading city. But these seamen and traders would also be doing lots of grueling work. They would be working in extreme temperatures with heavy materials, much like slaves would.
("The Horn of Africa" by Gordon Waterfield).
Due to Somalia being divided, the Somali tribes were split into protectorates based on the nation that imperialized them. There were three major states. They were British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland, and French Somaliland. Ethnic groups in Somalia were separated, due to the imperial powers' territory.
“The towns are few and the populations are not large. Djibouti has about 30,000 ; Berbera about 20,000, and Mogadiscio about 70,000. The Somalis travel very widely as seamen and traders ; they are to be found in Aden, Jeddah, and along the Red Sea coast, Cardiff, Liverpool, London, New York, Bombay, and in all sorts of unexpected places. They return very happily, most of them, to their nomad life, with stories of the outside world and wearing gay clothes ; they are very fond of highly-coloured blazers, and they like showing themselves off. You have probably seen them in places like Aden promenading with a stick across their shoulders and their arms hanging over the ends.”
There were not too many towns and the towns of Somalia tended to have small populations. The ratio of human beings to animals was massive. There were about 600,000 camels and about 2-3 million sheep. During the time of colonization in Somalia, Somali seamen and traders would be traveling all around the world, in many unexpected areas, such as London and world leading city. But these seamen and traders would also be doing lots of grueling work. They would be working in extreme temperatures with heavy materials, much like slaves would.
("The Horn of Africa" by Gordon Waterfield).
Social Structure in Colonial Somalia
Farmers
The "farmers" are at the bottom of the three social classes. Farmers
are the ones who make up minority groups such as the Digil, Rahanweyn,
Shebelle, Gabwing/Gabaweyn and various Bantu groups, who were the last
one of the groups. The farmers, having occupied the area a century ago, had cultivation methods that were successful, seeing that they had been using them for so long. Around rainy and river filled areas, the farmers would own land and would develop irrigation systems as well.
Landowners
The “landowners” are in the middle of society. During the Independence era, in the 1960’s and even the 1980’s, land was being grabbed in a systematic fashion so more banana plantations were developed, as well as irrigated farms being gained. The largest land-grabbing to make banana plantations occurred in the 1980’s. Those closely related with the Siad Barre regime were able to gain control of large areas of irrigable land. Many farmers were forced to leave their land because of violence and they turned out as agricultural proletariats. In 1991, the landowners were recognized by the Darood factions and the north Mogadishu Hawiye clans. They are still recognized today.
Liberators
At the top of society were the “liberators”. The United Somali Congress under leadership of General Mohamed Farah Aided had control of most of the areas near rivers in 1991-1992. These people were known as the liberators. The liberators goal was to replace the landowners and to not give the land back to the original farmers. The liberators remained in control of the Shebelle valley with their successor factions. However, the liberators were forced out of the Jubba valley by the landowners and the Darood militia factions. A faction is "a group of persons forming a cohesive, usually contentious miniority within a larger group". (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/factions)