Somalia marks 60th independence anniversary amid calls for unity

                      Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo.

MOGADISHU, Somalia

Somalia celebrated the 60th Independence anniversary on Wednesday amid calls for solidarity despite the challenges facing the Horn of Africa nation.

In his message, President Mohamed Farmaajo underscored the commitment of Somalis to remain focused, noting that despite the many hardships they continue to face, Somalis can take pride in the progress that is being made.

“Our Somalia of the 60s is now turning 60. We have sailed the stormy waters and now we must stamp out our challenges and spread our vision to continue standing tall,” Farmaajo said.

“As a people, we must seize this chance to deliver the hopes of our nation’s founding fathers and future generations,” he added.

Somalia which attained self-rule as a unified country on July 1, 1960, began independence anniversary celebrations at midnight with the hoisting of the national flag across the country’s regions and in the capital Mogadishu.

Francisco Madeira, head of the African Union Commission for Somalia (AMISOM) in his congratulatory message said that the country has come a long way in its effort to put an end to violence, bring peace and develop Somalia, regaining its place in the concert of nations and is actively playing its role as a fully-fledged member of the international community.