The entire goal of the 1950-1960 UN Trust Territory of Somalia Italiana was preparation for full Somali rule and independence by 1960.
1956 was the year the first parliamentary election exercise took place, the legislativa exercise begin, etc.
All these were laboratory experiments to prepare for being fully on your own in 1960.
The first significant step taken in this 10 year program consequentially and materially was the administrative transition to DIRECT Somali governance at the local level.
In a carefully planned process, the UN plan required the
identification and selection of a highly qualified cohort who would become "Deputy District Commissioners" to the Italian DCs for a period of 2 years to then succeed into becoming the 1st direct Somali administrators of Italian Somalia administrative regions for the 1st time in history.
I mean these were SOMALIS literally replacing committed fascists as many of the Italian bureaucracy of Somalia Italiana was still then represented by.
Figuratively and qualitatively, it was really the first material "taste" of independence in 1960.
On March 3, 1956, while the parliamentary electoral exercise was still going on, Adan Loow was declared to be the 1st Somali District Commissioner of the District of Lugh-Ferrandi.
He became "Capo Distretto" Adan Shire Jama, "Adan Loow"
Lugh-Ferrandi, as is famously known, had also just in the preceding month of February been won by the "Unione Merehan" or "Marehan Union" Party in those 1956 parliamentary election exercises.
That former "Lugh-Ferrandi" distretto covered the majority of today's Gedo Region.
March 3rd, 1956 was an important date for the history of Somalia and the Gedo Region in particular as the beginning of Somali direct self-rule!
