How did British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland join to form Somalia?

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Following World War II, the territories of British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland moved toward independence under different administrative paths. After the war, all Somali territories—except for French Somaliland—were briefly united under British military administration. In 1950, the Italians returned to southern Somalia under a United Nations trusteeship to prepare the region for independence over a 10-year period.12

The transition to a unified state occurred in 1960. The British protectorate achieved independence on June 26, 1960. Shortly thereafter, on July 1, 1960, the former Italian trust territory followed suit, and the two regions joined to form the Somali Republic.123

This union, described as a last-minute marriage, required the new government to address significant challenges, including the integration of disparate legal and judicial systems and the improvement of communication between the two territories. The first independent government was established through a coalition between the southern-based Somali Youth League and the northern-based Somali National League.12