Political pressure forced Jibuti’s pro-French Afar premier to resign

Evidence

In the ensuing political upheaval in Jibuti the extent of public support (not exclusively Somali) for the banned L.P.A.I., became evident. Premier ‘Ali ‘Ariif was deserted by most of his colleagues in the Assembly. In the face of mounting pressure as the pendulum swung back again in favour of the Somalis, he had little option but to resign and was replaced in July by his former Secretary-General ‘Abdallah Muhammad Kamil, an ‘Afar married to a Somali. This able, young administrator had been chosen by the French authorities as ideally suited to head a new interim coalition government, including representatives of all the main parties, and to steer the territory to independence, which, it was announced in November, would be achieved in the following summer. — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 558

Categorization

• SEED: Marriage between Afar and Somali as a deliberate political bridge — a detail worth building an essay or profile around.