The 1948 four-powers commission sought Somali preference on colonial rule

Evidence

During the fateful year of 1948 much of the action took place in Mogadishu. Sharmarkee was transferred to Mogadishu in early 1947 and immediately elected to the party’s central committee. Hussen moved to Mogadishu at the end of the year for advanced training for his job. Within a few weeks of Hussen’s arrival in Mogadishu the four-powers commission, which was to decide on the future of the former Italian colony, came to the city to hear the opinion of the Somali people and learn their preference for a new colonial master. Hussen was caught up in the struggle between the proliberation and pro-Italian forces during the commission’s visit. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 215

Categorization

• QUESTION: Who were the four powers and what did the commission ultimately recommend for the former Italian Somali colony?
• XREF: This is the deciding juncture between Italian trusteeship and independence that shapes the whole 1948-1960 story told elsewhere in the book. — connects to: The four-power commission did not consult Mogadishu residents in 1948; Somali clan rivalries shaped political alignments with Italy in 1948 — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 342
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 215

Broader Connections

• The four-power commission did not consult Mogadishu residents in 1948 #complicates (0.60)
• Somali clan rivalries shaped political alignments with Italy in 1948 #expands (0.50) — I.M. Lewis, I. M. Lewis, A Modern History of the Somali_ Nation…, 342