Contents

Flag

Historical Flag

Meaning/Origin of the Flag

The today's flag of South West Somalia is divided by a red diagonal stripe between light blue and green, a star appears in the light blue field and a circle of six white stars in the green field. The flag used between 2002 and 2006 featured three horizontal stripes in Somalia light blue, red and green. In the blue stripe was placed near the pole a ring of six stars. They could stand for the six southern provinces of Somalia which once should belong to Southwest Somalia. About the meaning of the colours is nothing known, but the using of the pale blue of Somalia goes back to the hitherto Somali symbolism. The colours red and green are obviously from pivotal significance for the Somali people, because the colours arise on Somali flags again and again (Somaliland, Ogaden, WSLF, SPM Jubaland). Green stands certainly for the Islam.

Source: Volker Preuß

Map

The Horn of Africa, 2012:

Map: Freeware, University of Texas Libraries, modyfied by: Volker Preuß

The Horn of Africa, 2023:

Map: Freeware, University of Texas Libraries, modyfied by: Volker Preuß

Numbers and Facts

Area: 38.171 square miles

Inhabitants: 4.387.355 (2022)

Density of Population: 115 inh./sq.mi.

Capital: Baidoa (Baydhabo), 950.000 inh. (2022)

official Languagen: Af-May, Arabic, English

other Languages: Somali, Italian

Currency: 1 Somalia Shilling (SoSh) = 100 Centesimi

Time Zone: GMT + 3 h

Source: Wikipedia (EN)

History

The State of Southwest Somalia was proclaimed in April 2002 by Colonel Hassan Mohammed Nur Shatigadud from the Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA). The Rahanweyn are a Clan which primary lives in the provinze of Baidoa and in the northern situated provinze of Bakol. Southwest Somalia demanded nevertheless all six southern provinces of Somalia (including Jubaland), but President Mohammed Nur resided solely in Baidoa, and was even still in 2002 momentary exiled from Baidoa. Jubaland remained under the control of the JVA militia. In 2003 Ibrahim Habsade – the vice chief of the RRA – seized the power in Southwest Somalia. In the year 2005 fled the Somali central government to Baidoa and banished the RRA. In this way ended the short history of Southwest Somalia. In September 2006 Baidoa was conquered by troops of the radical-islamic "Union of Islamic Courts" and became occupied in December 2006 by troops of Ethiopia and Somalia. Under changing leadership and with ever-changing flags, South West State managed to keep alive as a political project, culminating in the state becoming a federal constituent state of the newly proclaimed Federal Republic of Somalia in 2014 (Somali name: Koonfur Galbeed).

look also: History of Somalia (← click here)

Source: Volker Preuß, World Statesmen, Wikipedia (EN)