Chapter One: Name – Goal – Center
Article I
The name of the [Somali Youth] Club
(SYC) will be changed to ’al-waHdat
[Unity].9
Article II
The main center of ’al-waHdat will be
Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. The
center will relocate if another city becomes
the Somali capital.
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Article III
’al-waHdat will establish branches in the
important towns throughout Somalia.
Article IV
Effective immediately, all [Somali Youth]
Club members will become members of
’al-waHdat . They will maintain their
original member number and continue to
carry their [SYC] identification cards until
’al-waHdat identification cards have been
issued.
Article V
The goals of ’al-waHdat are:
A. To unite all Somalis in general and
youth in particular and to reject all old
habits such as tribalism, sufi orders,
clanism and the like. ’al-waHdat will work
towards the good of the country. Somalis
must perform their obligations towards
themselves and towards civilization (’almadaniyyat).
B. To teach the youth modern sciences
through schools and weekly informational
sessions, including science, industry,
agriculture and languages. These [the
youth] should seek each other’s help in all
religious and worldly affairs.
C. To unite in rejecting, in a legal and
orderly manner, everything contrary to
Somali interests.
D. To teach10 the Somali language based
on the Somali writing system better known
as Osmanya.11
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Article VI
The ’al-waHdat organization will consist
of the following:
A. The General Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-
‘umuumiyyat) and Branches Committee
(lajnat ’al-furuu‘ )
B. The Appeals Committee (lajnat ’arruf‘
aan)12
C. The Supreme Committee (lajnat ’al-
‘ulyaa) at the main center (i.e.,
headquarters) and the Branch Committees
(lajnat ’al-furuu‘) elsewhere [in the
country]13
D. The General Assembly (’ijtima‘
‘aamm)14
Article VII
The headquarters of the Higher
Administration (’al-’idaarat ’al-‘ulyaa)
will be the headquarters of ’al-waHdat in
Mogadishu.
Article VIII
The General Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-
‘umuumiyyat) will consist of 13 members
in addition to two inspecting members
appointed by the administration itself,
which also prepares the list of candidates.
Candidates will be tested to see if they are
able to perform this job, and they will serve
for one year.
Article IX
Running ’al-waHdat business will be
conducted through voting; however, if
there is a tie, the side that the President
supports will prevail.15
Chapter Two: Structure and
Administration
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The President of the General Committee
(’al-lajnat ’al-‘umuumiyyat) will be the
president of ’al-waHdat. The members of
the administration will elect from amongst
themselves:
1. The President
2. The Vice President
3. The General Secretary
4. The Treasurer (’amiin ’aSSondouq)
5. Two financial supervisors
Article XI
A committee meeting will be held if
requested by the President, the Vice
President, the General Secretary, or onethird
of the administration members. All
members of the administration must attend.
Article XII
The administrative council (majlis ’al-
’idaarat) will meet once weekly. It will
also convene if there is a pressing need,
provided that an announcement is made
twelve hours in advance. In case of
urgency, the session may be held at any
time.
Article XIII
The committee (’al-lajnat) may hold a
session if more than half the administration
members are in attendance. If this quorum
is not present, the session will be
postponed.
Article XIV
The General Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-
‘umuumiyyat) will issue all necessary
decisions with regard to ’al-waHdat
matters.
Article X
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Article XV
Municipal committees (’al-lijaan ’albaladiyyat)
outside the capital city will be
branches of ’al-waHdat . Each committee
will consist of nine members who will
serve for a six month term, electing from
amongst themselves a Secretary who will
serves as the Branch Head and as the local
deputy of the ’al-waHdat President. He
can appoint16 an assistant or more from
among the administration members, yet
these choices must be approved by the
Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘ulyaa).
Article XVI
The Appeals Committee (’al-lajnat ’arruf’aan)
will consist of seven members
elected from previous members.17 They
will be elected18 by the General Committee
(’al-lajnat al-‘umuumiyyat) from time to
time, and they will work at the main center
[in Mogadishu].
Article XVII
The regulations that apply to the General
Committee (’al-lajnat al-‘umuumiyyat) –
as listed in articles XI, XII, and XIII above –
will also apply to branch committees (’allijaan
’al-far‘iyyat), which can employ
these articles when needed.
Article XVIII
The Supreme Administration (’al-’idaarat
’al-‘ulyaa) will consist of the members of
the Central Committee (’al-lajnat ’almarkaziyyat).
They will have posts that
include:
1. The President
2. The Vice President
3. The General Secretary
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4. The General Treasurer (’amiin ’aSSonduuq
’al-‘aamm)19
Article IXX
The Central Committee (’al-lajnat ’almarkaziyyat)
members are the governing
members of ’al-waHdat and they:
1. Are responsible for organizing all
issues that need to be discussed by
the Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat
’al-markaziyyat)
2. Execute all decisions made by the
Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat ’almarkaziyyat)
3. Organize a weekly meeting to
spread knowledge and propaganda
among the headquarters members.
Article XX
In emergencies when the council of the
Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘ulyaa)
cannot meet as prescribed in articles XI,
XII, and XIII of these laws, the Central
Administration (’al-’idaarat ’almarkaziyyat)
may take necessary measures.
It will decide what it believes needs to be
done and submit its recommendations to
the Supreme Committee (’al-lanat ’al-
‘ulyaa).
Article XXI
The President, Vice President and the
General Secretary are mandated to speak to
third parties and appeal any rulings that
concern ’al-waHdat, yet they cannot make
binding decisions without Supreme
Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘ulyaa) approval.
Article XXII
Article XXI of this law also applies to
branch committees, and they should follow
it when necessary.
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Article XXIII
’al-waHdat branches are the ones that are
present nationwide to execute the goals of
’al-waHdat . They also function as a means
of communication between the members
outside [the capital city] and the Supreme
Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘ulyaa).
The General Assembly
Article XXIV
The General Assembly (’al-’ijtimaa‘ ’al-
‘aamm) will consist of all ‘al-waHdat
members present in the main center –
Mogadishu – at the time of the meeting, as
well as all branch presidents, who must
attend. The meeting must be announced 15
days prior to the meeting.
Article XXV
Per regulations, the General Assembly (’al-
’ijtimaa‘ ’al-‘aamm) will convene once
every year. Nonetheless, the Supreme
Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-‘ulyaa) can call a
session whenever doing so may be deemed
necessary. If a [special] meeting is
necessary, it can be held even without the
attendance of the branch heads. Later, they
will be apprised about what took place in
the General Assembly (’al-’ijtimaa‘ ’al-
‘aamm).
Article XXVI
The General Assembly (’al-’ijtimaa‘ ’al-
‘aamm) council meeting may commence its
business if half of the members are present
at the main centers.
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The General Assembly (’al-’ijtimaa‘ ’al-
‘aamm) will discuss all matters that
concern ’al-waHdat .
Chapter 3: Funds and Finance
Article XXVIII
Expenditures20 are the right/responsibility
of ’al-waHdat and are issued upon the
approval of the Higher Administration (’al-
’idaarat ’al-‘ulyaa). The treasurer can
deposit funds in ’al-waHdat bank accounts,
but he may not withdraw monies in excess
of 500 shillings without the endorsement of
the ’al-waHdat President.
Article XXVIV
Funds are the exclusive property of the ’alwaHdat
[organization]. No individual may
offer or lend them for any reason.
Article XXX
Financial supervisors will audit ’al-waHdat
ledgers and be responsible for submitting
to the Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-
‘ulyaa) a monthly report about revenues
and expenditures.
Article XXXI
Supervisors elected from the administration
(’al-’idaarat) will receive salaries from ’alwaHdat
. They will be
entitled/empowered21 to discuss the
internal situation matters, such as
advertising materials and supervisory
reports.
Article XXXII
The Supreme Committee (’al-lajnat ’al-
‘ulyaa) will prepare an annual report of all
financial balances and expenses, present it
Article XXVII
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to the General Assembly (’al-’ijtimaa‘ ’al-
‘aamm), and then distribute it to all branch
offices.
Article XXXIII
Branch secretariats (’al-sikriitaaryaat ’alfurou’)
will be responsible for collecting
participants’ monthly dues and issuing
receipts to them. They will also send to the
headquarters (markaz ’al-‘aamm) all
monies they collect, along with copies of
receipts.
Article XXXIV
If branch heads need funds from their local
revenues, their requests must be approved
by the Higher Administration (’al-’idaarat
’al-‘ulyaa).
Chapter Four: Admission Laws and
Regulations
Article XXXV
Admission to ’al-waHdat is open to all
Somalis or Africans who live in the land of
Somalia,22 according to the following rules:
1. They have reached the age of puberty,
i.e., 15 years
2. They are well behaved, of good morals,
and abstain from evil deeds
3. They cannot be participants in or
registered in any other organization
Article XXXVI
All those above sixty, whether Somali or
African, may not become members unless
they have previously served ’al-waHdat ,
and in that case they must bring their
Somali supervisor/sponsor or an’al-waHdat
member who knew him [during his
previous service].
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Article XXXVII
All members will pay five shillings as soon
as they become members. The monthly due
is one shilling and members have to pay
three months dues in advance. If they enroll
during the first half of the month, they will
pay the full membership dues. If they
enroll during the second half of the month,
they will start paying their dues the next
month.
Article XXXVIII
Membership will be granted upon the
approval of either the General Secretary [of
’al-waHdat] alone, or those who represent
him in the branches, such as the local
presidents, provided that two other
members also recommend him.
Individuals who are questionable will need
a majority decision of the administration [if
in Mogadishu] or the branch council
committee [if outside of Mogadishu].
Article XXXIX
Those who, without an acceptable excuse,
do not pay their dues for six consecutive
months will be removed from membership
lists.
Article XXXX
Everyone who violates the rules or acts
against the goal of ’al-waHdat will be
reprimanded as follows:
1. Admonishment and censure by the
relevant/appropriate committee
2. A fine of up to 100 shillings23
3. Expulsion from’al-waHdat
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The first two penalties may be executed by
the local committee (’al-lajnat ’almaHaliyyat),
while expulsion needs a
13-member committee that will make a
recommendation to the main center to
expel him.
Article XXXXI
If one is expelled from ’al-waHdat and
then asks to return to active membership,
the Appeals Committee (lajnat ’ar-ruf’aan)
may or may not accept his return. If it
accepts, then the member has to pay five
shillings immediately. His situation will be
discussed only after one year and a half has
elapsed since his departure.
Article XXXXII
’al-waHdat members who leave voluntarily
and then apply in writing to return will pay
100 shillings and the application will be
considered only after one year of his
departure.
Article XXXXIII
Any funds paid to ’al-waHdat may not be
refunded unless they are recorded in the
official register (’ad-diiwaan).
Article XXXXIV
If the General (’al-‘umuumiyyat) or the
local (’al-maHaliyyat) committee
(’idaarat)24 decides to expel a member or
fine him more than 50 shillings, he can file
a complaint in writing to the Appeals
Committee (lajnat ’ar-ruf’aan). The
committee ruling will be final and binding.
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Article XXXXV
Those seeking membership must read and
understand all [the above] articles.
Notes
1. Geshekter, ‘‘Anti Colonialism and Class Formation,’’ 25.
2. Touval, Somali Nationalism, 61 2. Once the basic ideas of pan Somali nationalism were
planted, their growth was facilitated by at least two additional factors. The first is that
during WWII Somalis listened to Arabic language radio broadcasts from London calling
for Somalis to eject the Italians from Northeast Africa, fight against Fascism more
broadly, and thusly attain freedom. This propaganda resonated with southern Somalis
owing to the second factor, which is that Fascist rule was severe, relying on ‘‘forced labor
and a humiliating racial policy’’ (Touval, Somali Nationalism, 62), thus generating
profound bitterness. For more on Fascist Italian policies in Somalia, see Hess, Italian
Colonialism in Somalia.
3. See Castagno, ‘‘Somali Republic,’’ 521, who lists the age date range as 15 30; and Barnes,
‘‘The Somali Youth League,’’ 280, who, based on his extensive research in the Public
Records Office (PRO) archives, offers 18 32. Either way, the SYL’s change in age policy
perhaps resulted from the opposition of older men, who feared that the political party
threatened their authority in society; on this point, see Hanley, Warriors: Life and Death,
143 4. Also note Article 36 in the version of the Somali Youth League Constitution in this
paper.
4. Castagno, ‘‘Somali Republic,’’ 521. For an excellent overview of the SYL’s spread in the
Ogaden and a provocative analysis of how that expansion may have affected the
organization as a whole, see Barnes, ‘‘The Somali Youth League.’’
5. The unity of these five neighboring territories was famously symbolized in the five points
of the white star gracing the flag of the Republic of Somalia. The star itself was to
represent African freedom, and the light blue background to portray respect for both the
Somali sky and the United Nations, which assisted Somali efforts to attain independence.
6. Ethiopian Security Forces reported claims that SYL offices were opened in Nairobi and
Tanganyika. Hara¨rge´ Regional Archives, Security Forces Collection: Hara¨r Province/
Jijjiga Region, M1, #8/307, 26 Genbot 1939 (June 3, 1947); and Hara¨r File H 1 1 ‘‘About
the Gela¨b Organization (Meaning the Somali Organization),’’ Incomplete interview of
Haji Nur, document following his statement of 14.3.40 (November 24, 1947).
7. Castagno, ‘‘Somali Republic,’’ 523; and Lewis, A Modern History, 122. Barnes’s ‘‘The
Somali Youth League,’’ focusing on the Ogaden, provides the most detailed account of the
SYL’s spread anywhere, and addresses the dynamics of both inter governmental rivalries
and their interplay with various Somali clan and regional interests.
8. Barnes, ‘‘The Somali Youth League.’’ More generally, key published information is most
easily derived from: Lewis, ‘‘Modern Political Movements,’’ 244 61 and 344 63; Lewis,
A Pastoral Democracy, 266 96; Touval, Somali Nationalism; Castagno, ‘‘Somali Republic’’;
Pankhurst, Ex Italian Somaliland, 175 84. Perhaps the most useful quick overview
may be gleaned from the most recent incarnation of Lewis, A Modern History, especially
chapters six and seven. Tantalizing details appear throughout Samatar and Samatar,
‘‘Somalis as Africa’s First Democrats,’’ esp. 8 33.
9. The term ’al waHdat comes from the Arabic verb waH Ha da which means to unite or to
unify, and among the meanings for the derived noun ’al waHdat is unity. Its usage in this
document is odd, since Arabic-language oral and written conventions since the 1940s have
commonly preferred waHdat ’ash Shabaab ’aS Soomaaliyy which is literally ‘‘Somali
Youth Unity.’’ The term ‘‘league’’ was usually translated as waHdat instead of raabiTat,
though in rare occasions ‘uSbat was used. In common parlance in the late 1940s and early
1950s, at least among Somalis with an Arabic education background, the standard
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referent was waHdat ’ash Shabaab ’aS Soomaaliyy. Personal communication,
Mohammed al Hadi, March 8, 2010.
10. ’at ta‘allum (the learning): This is a common mistake among speakers of English and
other languages. In Arabic the ’iDaafat structure requires two nouns, the first of which
cannot accept the definite article. Since the equivalent in English starts with the definite
article, literal translation commonly leads to this syntactical error. This error recurs
frequently throughout this document.
11. On this indigenous script, also known as Far Soomaali, see Andrzejewski, ‘‘Language
Reform in Somalia,’’ 60. Andrzejewski cites Martino Mario Moreno, Il Somalo della
Somalia, Rome: Istituto Poligrafico dello Stato, 1955 (pp. 290 7).
12. The word appears to be derived from the Arabic root rafa‘a, none of whose meanings are
‘appeal.’ The contexts where the term is used supported our choice, which has been
confirmed as a Somali word that is still employed to mean ‘appeal.’ Personal
communication, Mohammed al Hadi, March 18, 2010.
13. The Arabic word ’al khaarij means ‘‘outside.’’ Since there is a Supreme Committee in the
main center, i.e., the capital city, it is assumed that this committee will be located outside
the capital, i.e., in other parts of the country.
14. The Arabic word jam‘iyyat would be a better choice in this context. But since it and
’ijtimaa‘ come from the same root, and owing to the generally problematic nature of this
document’s Arabic, we regard them as interchangeable.
15. The Arabic at the end of this section is unclear and confusing. It may imply that the
President should encourage more members to vote in party business.
16. The Arabic term is ‘‘elect.’’ However, since the subject in this sentence is the local deputy,
‘‘appoint’’ expresses a more accurate meaning.
17. It is not clear here whether the meaning is to previous SYC members, previous
administration members, previous Municipal Committee members, etc. Our impression
is that eligible persons will have been Club members for some time.
18. See note 16 above.
19. In Article X, the word used to describe this post is ’amiin ’aS-Sondonq. In this Article, the
document uses the word ’al ‘aamm (general) to modify the post.
20. The term taSarrufaat means ‘‘behaviors’’ or ‘‘manners.’’ In this context, we believe the
writer meant to use ’al maSruufaat meaning ‘‘expenditures.’’
21. The word as it stands in the original document has no meaning due to a possible
misspelling or other error. Our translation fits the context.
22. The wording here implies non-Somali Africans living in the five Somali-inhabited
territories comprising Greater Somalia.
23. Whenever the word ‘‘shilling’’ is used in the document, the numerical amount is written
calligraphically just below the term ‘‘shilling.’’
24. We opted to use the word ‘‘committee’’ for ’idaarat although it means ‘‘administration,’’
since this choice is more consistent with the administrative structure of the organization,
as described throughout the document.
25. Such sub article items are listed differently throughout the original document. Articles V,
VI, XXXV use letters (i.e., a, b, c) while Articles X XVIII, XIX, and XXXX use ordinals.
26. In the original document ‘‘twenty three’’ is written and the correct word ‘‘forty’’ is penned
in different handwriting above the error.
References
Andrzejewski, B.W. ‘‘Language Reform in Somalia and the Modernization of the Somali
Vocabulary.’’ Northeast African Studies 1 (1979 80): 59 71.
Barnes, Cedric. ‘‘The Somali Youth League, Ethiopian Somalis and the Greater Somalia Idea,
c. 1946 48.’’ Journal of Eastern African Studies 1 (2007): 277 91.
Castagno, A.A. ‘‘Somali Republic.’’ In Political Parties and National Integration in Tropical
Africa ed. James S. Coleman and Carl G. Rosberg, Jr., 512 59. Berkeley: University of
California Press, 1964.
Geshekter, C.harles L. ‘‘Anti Colonialism and Class Formation: the Eastern Horn of Africa
before 1950.’’ International Journal of African Historical Studies 18 (1985): 1 32.
Hanley, Gerald. Warriors: Life and Death among the Somalis. London: Eland, 1993.
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Lewis, I.M. ‘‘Modern Political Movements in Somaliland, I.’’ Africa XVIII (1958): 244 61.
Lewis, I.M. ‘‘Modern Political Movements in Somaliland, II.’’ Africa XVIII (1958): 344 63.
Lewis, I.M. A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics among the Northern
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