▁law , ▁the ▁exact ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Assembly ▁was ▁not ▁established ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁facil itate ▁the ▁inclusion ▁of ▁represent atives ▁of ▁the ▁cont ested ▁areas ▁after ▁un ification . ▁The ▁national ▁flag ▁also ▁featured ▁a ▁five - point ed ▁star , ▁whose ▁points ▁represented ▁areas ▁tradition ally ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁eth nic ▁Som alis : ▁the ▁former ▁Italian ▁Som al il and ▁and ▁British ▁Som al il and , ▁the ▁Og aden , ▁French ▁Som al il and , ▁and ▁the ▁Northern ▁Front ier ▁District . ▁Moreover , ▁the ▁pre am ble ▁to ▁the ▁constitution ▁approved ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁included ▁the ▁statement , ▁" The ▁Som ali ▁Republic ▁prom otes ▁by ▁legal ▁and ▁peace ful ▁means , ▁the ▁union ▁of ▁the ▁territ ories ." ▁The ▁constitution ▁also ▁provided ▁that ▁all ▁eth nic ▁Som alis , ▁no ▁matter ▁where ▁they ▁res ided , ▁were ▁citizens ▁of ▁the ▁republic . ▁The ▁Som alis ▁did ▁not ▁claim ▁so vere ig nt y ▁over ▁adjacent ▁territ ories , ▁but ▁rather ▁demanded ▁that ▁Som alis ▁living ▁in ▁them ▁be ▁granted ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁self - det erm ination . ▁Som ali ▁leaders ▁assert ed ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁be ▁satisfied ▁only ▁when ▁their ▁fellow ▁Som alis ▁outside ▁the ▁republic ▁had ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁decide ▁for ▁themselves ▁what ▁their ▁status ▁would ▁be . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁under ▁pressure ▁from ▁their ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁al lies ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁dis may ▁of ▁the ▁Som alis , ▁the ▁British ▁" return ed