Gadabuursi
Encyclopedia
The Gadabuursi also known as Samaroon, is a northern Somali clan
, a sub-division of the Dir
.
Most Gadabuursi members are descendants of Sheikh Samaroon. However, Samaroon does not necessarily mean Gadabuursi, but rather represents only a sub-clan of the Gadabuursi clan family.
As a Dir sub-clan, the Gadabuursi have immediate lineal ties with the Issa
of Djibouti
, the Surre (Abdalle and Qubeys) of central/southern Somalia
, the Biyomaal of southern Somalia, the Gaadsan, the Gurgure and the Isaaq
.
In terms of subsistence patterns, the Gadabuursi are mainly sedentary agro-pastoralists, supplementing their cattle herding with cereal cultivation.
Politically, the Gadabuursi are represented by the Somali Democratic Alliance (SDA). The former president of the northwestern Somaliland
region of Somalia, Dahir Rayale Kahin, also hails from the Gadabuursi clan.
in Ethiopia
, where they almost exclusively inhabit both the Awbere
district in the Jijiga Zone
and the Dembel
district in the Shinile Zone
.
They also reside along the northeastern fringe of the chartered city state of Dire Dawa
, which borders the Dembel district. The 2007 Summary and Statistical report of the Population and Housing Census of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia has shown that Awbere is the most populated district in the region.
The Gadabuursi of Ethiopia have expressed a desire to combine the clan's traditional territories of Awbere and Dembel to form a new region-state called Harawo State.
The chairmen of the four sections were called Afarta Dhadhaar, and were selected according to talent and personnel abilities. A constitution, Xeer
Gadabursi , had been developed, which divided every case as to whether it was new or had precedents (ugub or curad).
The Gadabursi King and the elders opposed the arrival of the British
at the turn of the twentieth century, and subsequently signed an agreement with the latter. Later, as a disagreement between the two parties both arose and intensified, the British installed some people against the Ugaas in hopes of overthrowing him. This would eventually bring about the collapse of the kingdom.
's Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics from 2005 and the United Kingdom
's Home Office
publication, Somalia Assessment 2001.
In the south central part of Somalia the World Bank shows the following clan tree:
Somali clan
The demographics of Somalia describes the condition and overview of Somalia's inhabitants. Demographic topics include basic education, health and population statistics, as well as identified racial and religious affiliations.-Somalis:...
, a sub-division of the Dir
Dir (clan)
The Dir , or Theyr bin Abdalla as mentioned in the book "Futuh al-Habasha", is a Somali clan. Its members mostly live in northwestern Somalia and Djibouti, in addition to southern and central Somalia and the Ogaden....
.
Most Gadabuursi members are descendants of Sheikh Samaroon. However, Samaroon does not necessarily mean Gadabuursi, but rather represents only a sub-clan of the Gadabuursi clan family.
As a Dir sub-clan, the Gadabuursi have immediate lineal ties with the Issa
Issa (clan)
The Issa are a Somali clan, a sub-clan of the Dir. The Issa primarily reside in Djibouti, the extreme northwestern fringe in the Awdal district of Somaliland in northern Somalia, as well as the Shinile Zone located in the Somali Region of Ethiopia.-Lineage:...
of Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
, the Surre (Abdalle and Qubeys) of central/southern Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, the Biyomaal of southern Somalia, the Gaadsan, the Gurgure and the Isaaq
Isaaq
The Isaaq is one of the main Somali clans. Members of the clan principally live in the northwestern Somaliland region of Somalia, and the Somali Region of Ethiopia. The populations of five major cities of Somaliland – Hargeisa, Burco, Berbera, Ceerigaabo and Gabiley – are predominantly Isaaq...
.
In terms of subsistence patterns, the Gadabuursi are mainly sedentary agro-pastoralists, supplementing their cattle herding with cereal cultivation.
Politically, the Gadabuursi are represented by the Somali Democratic Alliance (SDA). The former president of the northwestern Somaliland
Somaliland
Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state that is internationally recognised as an autonomous region of Somalia. The government of Somaliland regards itself as the successor state to the British Somaliland protectorate, which was independent for a few days in 1960 as the State of...
region of Somalia, Dahir Rayale Kahin, also hails from the Gadabuursi clan.
Distribution
The Gadabuursi are also found in Djibouti and the Somali RegionSomali Region
Somali Region ; is the eastern-most of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia. It is often called Somalia, though it is not to be confused with the independent country of the same name. The capital of Somali State is Jijiga...
in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, where they almost exclusively inhabit both the Awbere
Awbere (woreda)
Awbere , , is one of the 47 woredas in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Jijiga Zone, Awbere is bordered on the southwest by Jijiga, on the west and north by the Shinile Zone, on the east by Somalia, and on the southeast by Kebri Beyah...
district in the Jijiga Zone
Jijiga Zone
Jijiga is one of nine zones of the Ethiopian Somali Region. This zone is named after its largest city, Jijiga. Other towns and cities in this zone include Qarbibayax, Dhurwaale Awbere, Derwonaji, tuli gulled and Hart Sheik...
and the Dembel
Dembel (woreda)
Dembel is one of the 47 woredas in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Shinile Zone, Dembel is bordered on the southwest by the Oromia Region, on the west by Dire Dawa, on the northwest by Shinile, on the northeast by Ayesha, and on the east and south by the Jijiga Zone...
district in the Shinile Zone
Shinile Zone
Shinile is one of nine Zones of the Ethiopian Somali Region. Shinile is named for its largest town, Shinile.Located at the northwestern point of the Somali Region, and stretching across the savanna north of the Amhar mountains, Shinile is bordered on the south by the Oromia Region, on the west by...
.
They also reside along the northeastern fringe of the chartered city state of Dire Dawa
Dire Dawa
Dire Dawa is one of two chartered cities in Ethiopia . This chartered city is divided administratively into two woredas, the city proper and the non-urban woreda of Gurgura....
, which borders the Dembel district. The 2007 Summary and Statistical report of the Population and Housing Census of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia has shown that Awbere is the most populated district in the region.
The Gadabuursi of Ethiopia have expressed a desire to combine the clan's traditional territories of Awbere and Dembel to form a new region-state called Harawo State.
History
The Gadabursi Kingdom was established more than 600 years ago, and consisted of many elders and a King (Ugaas). Hundreds of elders used to work in four sections consisting of 25 elders each:- Social committee
- Defence - policing authorities consisting of horsemen (referred to as fardoolay) and foot soldiers
- Economy and collection of taxes
- Justice committee
The chairmen of the four sections were called Afarta Dhadhaar, and were selected according to talent and personnel abilities. A constitution, Xeer
Xeer
Xeer, pronounced , is the polycentric legal system of Somalia. Under this system, elders serve as judges and help mediate cases using precedents. It is a good example of how customary law works within a stateless society and is a fair approximation of what is thought of as natural law...
Gadabursi , had been developed, which divided every case as to whether it was new or had precedents (ugub or curad).
The Gadabursi King and the elders opposed the arrival of the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
at the turn of the twentieth century, and subsequently signed an agreement with the latter. Later, as a disagreement between the two parties both arose and intensified, the British installed some people against the Ugaas in hopes of overthrowing him. This would eventually bring about the collapse of the kingdom.
Clan tree
There is no clear agreement on the clan and sub-clan structures and many lineages are omitted. The following listing is taken from the World BankWorld Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
's Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics from 2005 and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
publication, Somalia Assessment 2001.
- Dir
- Gadabuursi (Gadabursi)
- Biimaal (or Bimal)
- IssaIssa (clan)The Issa are a Somali clan, a sub-clan of the Dir. The Issa primarily reside in Djibouti, the extreme northwestern fringe in the Awdal district of Somaliland in northern Somalia, as well as the Shinile Zone located in the Somali Region of Ethiopia.-Lineage:...
In the south central part of Somalia the World Bank shows the following clan tree:
- Dir
- Isaac
- Garhajis
- Habar Je'lo
- Habar Awal
- Habar Tol
- Gadabursi
- Isse
- Biyomal
- Gadsan
- Qubeys
- Isaac
Notable figures
- Abdi SinimoAbdi SinimoAbdi Sinimo or Abdi Sinimoo , born Cabdi Deeqsi Warfaa, is a Somali singer and songwriter who established the balwo musical style.-Biography:...
, musician who established BalwoBalwoBalwo is a style of music and poetry practiced in Djibouti as well as Somalia. Its lyrical contents often deal with love and passion. Balwo was founded by Abdi Sinimo....
lyrical genre - Sheikh Abdurahman Sheikh NuurSheikh Abdurahman Sheikh NuurSheikh Abdurahman Sheikh Nuur was a Somali religious leader and the inventor of the Borama script for the Somali language.-Biography:Nuur was born in Borama, Somalia to a Gadabuursi Dir family...
, inventor of the Borama scriptBorama scriptThe Borama script is a writing script for the Somali language. It was devised around 1933 by Sheikh Abdurahman Sheikh Nuur of the Gadabuursi clan.-History:... - Hassan Sheikh MuminHassan Sheikh MuminHassan Sheikh Mumin was a Somali poet, reciter and playwright.-Biography:Mumin was born in Zeila in 1931 in the then British Somaliland protectorate...
, author of Shabeel Naagood or (Leopard among the Women) - Khadija QalanjoKhadija QalanjoKhadija Qalanjo was a popular Somali singer and folklore dancer in the 1970s and 1980s.-Biography:Qalanjo was born in Somalia. She is of the Samaroon sub-division of the Mandaluug sub-clan of the Dir Somali clan....
, prominent singer - Dahir Riyale KahinDahir Riyale KahinDahir Rayale Kahin was the third President of Somaliland, a self-declared republic that is internationally recognized as a part of Somalia. He became the third president of Somaliland on May 3, 2002, after the death of Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal...
, third president of Somaliland - Ahmed Ismail SamatarAhmed Ismail SamatarAhmed Ismail Samatar is a prominent Somali writer, professor and dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship at Macalester College. He is the editor of Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali Studies and brother of Abdi Ismail Samatar....
, James Wallace Professor and Dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship at Macalester CollegeMacalester CollegeMacalester College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was founded in 1874 as a Presbyterian-affiliated but nonsectarian college. Its first class entered September 15, 1885. The college is located on a campus in a historic residential neighborhood... - Abdi Ismail SamatarAbdi Ismail SamatarAbdi Ismail Samatar is Professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota. He is the author of An African Miracle published by Heinemann that was a finalist for the 2000 Herskovits Prize.-References:...
, Professor of Geography and Global Studies at the University of MinnesotaUniversity of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557... - Abdirahman SayliciAbdirahman SayliciAbdirahman Abdallahi Ismail Saylici is the Vice President of Somaliland, after winning the election of 2010 together with Ahmed M. Mahamoud Silanyo. Both are members of the Peace, Unity, and Development Party.-References:...
, Vice President of Somaliland