UN General Assembly
1970

131. In this connexion we are pleased to note that an atmosphere of understanding exists between the French authorities and the people of French Somali land. The welfare and future of French Somaliland is of special concern to the Somali Democratic Republic. 132. Apart from our desire as a Member of this Organization to support the principle of self determination, our concern for their welfare is a particular one arising from the strong ties of kinship and the common culture that bind the Somali people irrevocably to the people of French Somaliland. It is not the wish of my delegation to recount those unhappy circumstances which the people of French Somaliland experienced in the years 1966 and 1967, when they attempted to express their political aspirations. The lessons learn from those experiences have demonstrated that when the hopes and aspirations of a people are frustrated, violence is inevitably the consequence.