Somalia’s northern region remained starkly underdeveloped at independence.

Evidence

Sharmarkee’s visit to the North not only left him with fond memories but also exposed him to the stark underdevelopment that the country in general and the North especially faced. He was overwhelmed by the degree of poverty and the lack of infrastructure in the North. Despite the impoverished Italian and British colonial legacy, the values and principles that the president articulated and the warm sentiments the prime minister voiced were genuine thoughts about the Somali spirit that needed to be embedded in sound national institutions. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 526