Somalia’s 1960s democrats faced an impossible double bind

Evidence

President Osman and Prime Minister Hussen confronted a classic conundrum of 1960s postcolonial circumstance that is captured by the Somali saying “Hadii aan hadalo wa af salax ku dagii hadii kalana bal xoolaha waxa lagu hayo eega” (Damned if we do and damned if we don’t). — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 1109

Categorization

Category: Definitional Content

• DEFINE: Introduces and translates a Somali proverb expressing the double bind of postcolonial leadership.