It was ordered by then President of France, General Charles de Gaulle, in response to rioting and demonstrations upon an official visit he made to the territory the year before.

[7] Somali representatives also claimed that the French had simultaneously imported thousands of Afar nomads from neighboring Ethiopia to further tip the odds in their favor.

This blockade persisted into the night, during which French soldiers reportedly shot individuals attempting to enter the city and investigated people to verify their citizenship.

[8] Initial results supported a continued but looser relationship with France, with 61% of the electorate voting for the status quo on a 95% turnout.

According to colonial governor Louis Saget, rioters from the densely populated and largely Somali neighbourhood were armed with guns, knives, and Molotov cocktails.

With the support of armored cars and machine guns, French forces ruthlessly pushed against the rioters, dismantling their hastily constructed barricades within 20 minutes.

If accurate, a war could have broken out between the US-backed Ethiopians and Kenyans and the Soviet-backed Somali forces vying for control over the colony.