Vincenzo Filonardi

In 1890 Filonardi was nominated by the Italian Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti as a consul[2] and ambassador of Italy at Zanzibar.

In southern Somalia, better known as the Banaadir coast, Italy was the main colonizer, but the extension of Italian influence was painstakingly slow owing to parliamentary lack of enthusiasm for overseas territory.

Italy acquired its first possession in southern Somalia in 1888 when the Sultan of Hobyo, Keenadiid, agreed to Italian "protection."

In the same year, Vincenzo Filonardi, Italy's architect of colonialism in southern Somalia, demanded a similar arrangement from the Majeerteen Sultanate of Ismaan Mahamuud.

Italy then notified the signatory powers of the Berlin West Africa Conference of 1884-85 of its southeastern Somali protectorate.