The Democratic Union Issa (UDI) was an anti-independence political party of

French Somaliland French Somaliland (french: Côte française des Somalis, lit= French Coast of the Somalis so, Xeebta Soomaaliyeed ee Faransiiska) was a French colony in the Horn of Africa. It existed between 1884 and 1967, at which time it became the French Ter ...

and the

French Territory of the Afars and the Issas The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas (FTAI; french: Territoire français des Afars et des Issas) was the name given to present-day Djibouti between 1967 and 1977, while it was still an overseas territory of France. The area was former ...

History

It was created in the early 1960s by militants previously allied with

Mahmoud Harbi Mahamoud Harbi Farah ( ar, محمود الحربي, so, Maxamuud Xarbi Faarax) (1921 – 29 September 1960) was a Djiboutian politician of Somali ethnicity. A pan-Somalist, he was the Vice President of the Government Council of French Soma ...

, who, after a schism in the Somalian nationalist movement, sided with his rival,

Hassan Gouled Aptidon Hassan Gouled Aptidon ( so, Xasan Guuleed Abtidoon; ar, حسن جوليد أبتيدون) (October 15, 1916 – November 21, 2006) was the first President of Djibouti from 1977 to 1999. Biography He was born in the small village of Gerisa in th ...

who led the party. During the 1960s, the UDI included those Issas who opposed the Popular Movement Party, and independence. Then headed by Omar Farah Iltireh, UDI was in favor of maintaining the territory under French sovereignty during March 1967 referendum. In 1967, the IDU had around 100 members. As one of four political parties allowed to stand for election, the party won the local elections in November 1968 in the riding of Ali Sabieh and obtained three seats in the Territorial Assembly. In 1971, The party again won the election in

Ali Sabieh Ali Sabieh ( so, Cali Sabiix, ar, علي صبيح) is the second largest city in Djibouti. It is situated about Southwest of Djibouti City and north of the border with Ethiopia. It sprawls on a wide basin surrounded by granitic mountains on all ...

, as the "people of the Rally Issa". In February 1972, it merged with two other parties to form the African People's League for the Independence (LPAI)

Bibliography

*Ali Coubba, Djibouti, une nation en orage, Paris, L'Harmattan, 1993 *Fantu Agonafer, Djibouti's Three-Front Struggle for Independence: 1967-77, PhD, University of Denver, 1979, 204 p. *Tholomier (Robert), A Djibouti, avec les Afars et les Issas, Cagnes-sur-mer, auto-édité (sous le pseudonyme de Robert Saint-Véran), 1977, 272 p. Horn of Africa History of Djibouti Defunct political parties in Djibouti Democratic socialist parties in Africa French Territory of the Afars and the Issas Socialism in Djibouti {{Djibouti-stub