Wanlaweyn

Wanlaweyn is a town in the northern Lower Shebelle region of Somalia. Situated around 90 km northwest of the capital Mogadishu, it is the center of the Wanlaweyn District.

Demographics

Wanlaweyn has a population of around 26,700 inhabitants. The broader Wanlaweyn District has a total population of 250,643 residents.

During the 1961 [Somali constitutional referendum], in order to secure a substantial "Yes" vote for southerners, the small town reported 100,000 votes. This was higher than total ballots cast in the North, therefore Northerners became suspicious of the political nature of Southerners. As a result, the term "Wanlaweyn" was coined for Southerners.