MOGADISHU (SD) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud last night attended the 62nd anniversary celebration of the liberation of the southern regions from Italian colony and the unification of the northern and southern regions of Somalia.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud pointed out that Somalia’s independence was a long struggle, which made Hargeisa the first city to raise the Somali flag on June 26, 1960.

The President noted that the problems that have crippled Somali governments, since independence, are primarily due to the frustration and mistrust of the Somali people in their government, noting the importance of resolving the crisis and emphasizing the need for reconciliation in Somalia.

Finally, the President of the Republic, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, also noted that the country is currently in a difficult situation due to the effects of the drought, and called on the Somali people to play their part in the government’s efforts to respond to the drought.