▁northern ▁SN L ▁minister ▁res igned ▁from ▁the ▁cabinet ▁and ▁took ▁many ▁SN L ▁follow ers ▁with ▁them ▁into ▁a ▁new ▁party , ▁the ▁Som ali ▁National ▁Congress ▁( S NC ), ▁which ▁won ▁w ides p read ▁northern ▁support . ▁The ▁new ▁party ▁also ▁gained ▁support ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁joined ▁by ▁an ▁SY L ▁fa ction ▁composed ▁pre domin antly ▁of ▁Haw i ye . ▁This ▁move ▁gave ▁the ▁country ▁three ▁truly ▁national ▁political ▁parties ▁and ▁further ▁served ▁to ▁bl ur ▁north - s outh ▁differences . ▁ ▁Gre ater ▁Som alia ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁important ▁political ▁issue ▁in ▁post - in dep end ence ▁Som ali ▁politics ▁was ▁the ▁un ification ▁of ▁all ▁areas ▁tradition ally ▁inhab ited ▁by ▁eth nic ▁Som alis ▁into ▁one ▁country ▁– ▁a ▁concept ▁identified ▁as ▁Gre ater ▁Som alia ▁( So oma ali we yn ). ▁Polit icians ▁knew ▁well ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁no ▁chance ▁of ▁winning ▁elections ▁if ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁promote ▁the ▁un ification ▁of ▁all ▁Som ali ▁territ ories . ▁This ▁issue ▁of ▁Som ali ▁national ism ▁domin ated ▁popular ▁opinion ▁and ▁that ▁any ▁government ▁would ▁fall ▁if ▁it ▁did ▁not ▁demonstrate ▁a ▁desire ▁to ▁re app ropri ate ▁occupied ▁Som ali ▁territory . ▁ ▁Pre occupation ▁with ▁Gre ater ▁Som alia ▁sh aped ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁the ▁country ' s ▁newly ▁formed ▁institutions ▁and ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁build - up ▁of ▁the ▁Som ali ▁military ▁in ▁prepar ation ▁for ▁campaign s ▁to ▁retrieve ▁Som ali ▁land . ▁By