Mogadishu — Somalia has begun preparations for nationwide celebrations marking the 66th anniversaries of Independence Day and National Unity Day, officials said on Monday.

The first meeting of the national committee tasked with organizing commemorations for June 26 and July 1 was chaired in Mogadishu by Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation Minister Ali Yusuf Ali, who also heads the organizing committee.

According to a government statement, discussions focused on the committee's work plan, the historical significance of the two national holidays, and arrangements to ensure the anniversaries are commemorated with official events both inside Somalia and abroad.

Committee members also reviewed efforts to accelerate preparations and examined the roles of various government institutions in implementing activities linked to the celebrations.

The meeting was attended by cabinet ministers serving on the committee as well as the governor of the Banadir region, who are jointly coordinating plans for the national events.

The federal government said it intends to mark the anniversaries on a broad scale this year, highlighting two landmark dates in Somalia's modern history.

June 26 commemorates the independence of the former British Somaliland protectorate in 1960, while July 1 marks the union of the former British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland territories to form the Somali Republic.