Fascist rule in Somalia brought infrastructure gains at egregious human cost

Evidence

Osman demonstrated similar analytical acuity in evaluating Italian colonialism. He clearly recognized that Italy did nothing it could be proud of during its colonial heyday in Somalia. However, its record of abuse was relatively mild before the rise of fascism and the arrival of Governor De Vecchi. The fascists embarked on infrastructure development, and the colony’s boundaries were extended to the northeast and areas that form part of present-day Somali Ethiopia. These were positive interventions that Somalia, when independent, would build on. The fascist accomplishments, such as infrastructure and territorial expansion, which were unfortunately reversed after World War II, of the fascist period were notable, but the cost imposed on Somalis in the form of forced and bonded labor, lands alienation, and collective humiliation was egregious. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 171

Categorization

• XREF: Connects chronologically to Aden Osman’s assessment of colonial era in earlier chapters, foreshadowing the independence-era foundations both leaders built on.