▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Som ali ▁Republic ▁or ▁to ▁remain ▁with ▁France . ▁The ▁refer endum ▁turned ▁out ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁a ▁continued ▁association ▁with ▁France , ▁largely ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁combined ▁yes ▁vote ▁by ▁the ▁s izable ▁Af ar ▁eth nic ▁group ▁and ▁resident ▁Europe ans . ▁There ▁was ▁also ▁w ides p read ▁vote ▁rig ging , ▁with ▁the ▁French ▁exp elling ▁thousands ▁of ▁Som alis ▁before ▁the ▁refer endum ▁reached ▁the ▁pol ls . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁those ▁who ▁had ▁voted ▁no ▁were ▁Som alis ▁who ▁were ▁strongly ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁joining ▁a ▁un ited ▁Som alia , ▁as ▁had ▁been ▁proposed ▁by ▁Mah m oud ▁Har bi , ▁Vice ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Government ▁Council . ▁Har bi ▁was ▁killed ▁in ▁a ▁plane ▁crash ▁two ▁years ▁later ▁under ▁myster ious ▁circumstances . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁London ▁tal ks ▁on ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁the ▁Ken ya ▁Col ony , ▁Som ali ▁represent atives ▁from ▁the ▁Northern ▁Front ier ▁District ▁( NF D ) ▁demanded ▁that ▁Britain ▁ar range ▁for ▁the ▁region ' s ▁separation ▁before ▁Ken ya ▁was ▁granted ▁independence . ▁The ▁British ▁government ▁appointed ▁a ▁commission ▁to ▁as certain ▁popular ▁opinion ▁in ▁the ▁N FD ▁on ▁the ▁question . ▁The ▁inform al ▁ple bis cite ▁demonstrated ▁the ▁over wh el ming ▁desire ▁of ▁the ▁region ' s ▁population , ▁which ▁mainly ▁consisted ▁of ▁Som alis ▁and ▁O rom os , ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁Som ali ▁Republic . ▁A ▁ 1 9