ITALY

ITALIAN SOMALILAND

SOMALIA

YEAR: 1916

CONDITION: MINT LIGHT HINGED

The "Benadir" stamps are interesting ones- the first issue was released October 12, 1903 on seven stamps with a vignette of an elephant or a lion on them. They then were surcharged on various issues from 1906-1926. The above stamp is an 1906 example with a 2 Centesimi surcharge on a 1 Besa brown value.

The Italian government took over in 1905, and created a colony under its direct administration.. The reason lies buried in historical documents, but is reasonably accessible with a bit of internet sleuthing.

It turns out that "The Benadir Company" was granted a concession to administer that part of Italian Somaliland called El Benadir (around Mogadishu on the coast) in 1898, and the concession was supposed to run until 1946. The company was given the right to collect taxes and customs, exploit mines, and occupy territory in Italian possession. In exchange, the company was to develop the territory, pay an annual tribute of 120,000 rupees to the Sultan of Zanzibar, administer the laws, develop a postal service, and have at least 600 guards for the protection of stations.

But charges were filed that the company had done nothing to develop the territory, except start a steamship service between Aden, Benadir, and Zanzibar. But the most incriminating finding was that the Benadir Company had permitted slavery.