MOGADISHU (SD) – Tonight, the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, is participating in the 65th anniversary celebrations of the liberation of the southern regions of the country and the unification of the northern and southern regions.

Units from the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) raised the flag of the Republic on 12 flagpoles, symbolizing the historic moment 65 years ago when the flag was first hoisted in Mogadishu on July 1, 1960.

Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is also expected to lay flowers at the monuments of Somali independence heroes in Mogadishu, including those dedicated to Sayid Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan, the Somali Youth League (SY), Dhagaxtuur, and Hawo Tako.

Additionally, national leaders will attend a joint ceremony and celebration involving various segments of society at Mogadishu Stadium, where the President will deliver a speech marking July 1st (Independence Day).