Mohammed Awale Liban

The history of the Somali flag does not begin with the time when Somalia was under the protection of the 1960s, but there were many attempts by the SYL even before Somalia was handed over to Italy.

As Somali activist Ali Hassan Maslah Berdura, one of the 13 founders of SYL, told me, on the night of SYL's formation, a new constitution and many insurmountable provisions and the flag were agreed upon.

On that night, the flag was made with a moon symbolizing Islam, the star of Somaliness and the five fingers of unity and togetherness.

But when the Italian took over management in 1950, gumeytaha Britain has moved steps crazy, English is taken in Somalia, NFD is useful colonial Kenya, the beach or Djabuti was invaded France, the United Kingdom as Ethiopia  given to Western Somalia, it was difficult to bring the land and its people together.

SYL, seeing that Somaliweyn was getting out of hand, decided to create a valuable flag that would reflect Somaliweyn, even before independence in 1960.

A lot of art was done, a lot of people worked hard, there was a competition to make a Somali flag, but in the end, the art and design of Mohamed Awale Liban, a member of the League and the trade union, was adopted.

Mohamed Awale Liban, made the flag in less than 24 hours, but it became the flag of the Somali people, displaying it.

The white five-pointed star represents the five parts of the Somali territory.

The light blue color reflects the sky and sea of the Somali land which is always blue.

This blue flag with the star of Somaliland in the middle was made on October 12, 1954.

Since that day, Somalis have been reflecting on the flag, a symbol of Greater Somalia and national unity.

Finally, on June 5, 2001, Mohamed Awale Liban, the man who made the Somali flag, died in Toronto, Canada.

Somalis Today: I am sure many Somalis have their blood and conscience moved to hear the song, but let's face it, today's flag song has no taste of the past, the country is divided into regions, tribes, states, there are no two opinions,  No one talks about Somaliweyn, Unity and the Future of the country, the people and the religion!

As Jen told me.  Jama Mohamed Qalib, the people used to be proud of the flag, the national army and the Somali people while today they are proud of the regional administrations, the support and funds raised for the regional administrations are more than the support of the nation.

Today Somalia has hundreds of flags, each region has its own flag and anthem, each region has its own constitution and flag different from the national one, many presidents, the great meaning of the Somali flag and national anthem is gone.

• Abdullahi Issa