- Title: FRENCH SOMALILAND: VOTERS REJECT INDEPENDENCE IN REFERENDUM
- Date: 19th March 1967
- Summary: AIR VIEW OF DJIBOUTI; STREETS IN THE CAPITAL BEFORE REFERENDUM; ELECTION POSTERS; CROWDS AT POLITICAL MEETING; TROOPS IN VEHICLES. Initials PW/VS/CCT/EEH Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 3rd April 1967 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: DJIBOUTI: FRENCH SOMALILAND
- Country: Djibouti
- Reuters ID: LVA5P813565A6A0D3ABSEYBSKG8E
- Story Text: THE PEOPLE OF FRENCH SOMALILAND TODAY (SUNDAY) VOTED TO RETAIN THE COUNTRY'S LINKS WITH FRANCE AND REJECTED THE ALTERNATIVE OF INDEPENDENCE. AN ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT IN PARIS TONIGHT SAID THAT 60 PER CENT OF THE VOTERS IN THE TINY AFRICAN STATE HAD VOTED FOR THE RETENTION OF TIES WITH FRANCE.
PREPARATIONS FOR THE REFERENDUM HAVE LED TO OUTBREAKS OF VIOLENCE OF ANTI-FRENCH FEELING AMONG ELEMENTS FAVOURABLE TOWARDS THE NEIGHBOURING STATES OF ETHIOPIA AND SOMALIA. EXTRA FRENCH TROOPS, FLOWN INTO FRENCH SOMALILAND FOR THE VOTING, SEALED OFF SECTIONS OF THE CAPITAL, DJIBOUTI, TODAY AFTER ATTACKS ON A POLLING STATION IN THE TOWN. DJIBOUTI HAS REMAINED A CLOSED PORT SINCE FRIDAY.
FRENCH TROOPS MADE 45 ARRESTS TODAY AFTER ATTACKS ON THE POLLING STATION, RESERVED FOR AFAR TRIBESMEN, BY SOMALIS IN THE FRENCH SOMALILAND CAPITAL. LATER, THEY SEALED OFF A SOMALI QUARTER OF THE TOWN WHILE VOTING WENT ON.
FRENCH SOMALILAND IS THE LAST FRENCH COLONY IN AFRICA. THE FRENCH HAD PROMISED TO LEAVE THE TERRITORY IF THE POPULATION VOTED FOR INDEPENDENCE. HOWEVER, SOMALIS, WHO DOMINATE THE CAPITAL, HAVE LONG PROMISED THAT IF THE FRENCH WIN IN THE REFERENDUM, THEY WOULD UNLEASH A WAVE OF VIOLENCE IN DJIBOUTI.
FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS, DJIBOUTI HAS HAD THE AIR OF A TOWN UNDER SIEGE, WITH THE PORT CLOSED AND WITH SOME 8,000 FRENCH TROOPS PATROLLING THE STREETS IN MILITARY VEHICLES.
NO DETAILED FIGURE FOR THE VOTING WERE RETURNED TONIGHT. FULL FIGURES ARE LIKELY TO BE ISSUED FROM DJIBOUTI TOMORROW. BUT UNOFFICIAL FIGURES FOR DJIBOUTI TOWN ITSELF TELL OF THE SOMALI DOMINATION -- WITH A VOTE AGAINST FRANCE OF 6,862 TO 2,798.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None