Miscellaneous history, politics, war & nobility
British Somaliland (1940)
Foreigners sold into captivity and slavery
Hawiye Somalis in the early modern and pre modern era had demonstrated the highest disdain and complexity for any foreign presence, be they spectators, lost captainmen or armies. Often victims were Whites, Arabs and Indians and Bantus. During the Colonial Era it was said for any Somali whipped, an Italian Soldier was killed. The Italian Colonial Power were forced to rely on liberated or rented Bantu labour to till the farms owned by hereditary nomadic clans in the Shabelle and Jubba area. As an eglitarian people, their sense of personal freedom, common fraternity and understanding civil discourse based on democratic principles in electing sub minor and sometimes major authorities managing their affairs with an inherent religious doctrine meant the Hawiye were some of the most observed during the Colonial Rule.
The infamous “white slavery” attack on Colonel Rigby and Englishmen aboard the St Abbs British Navy ship in the 1800’s.
By the course of colonial contact between 1889 to 1930 the Italians and British were compelled to kneel to the growing interests of major clans following the start of Ethiopian Imperial expasion and two World Wars looming back home. The Italians in one particular narrative which isn’t mentioned in the texts below, had since the early days of Antonio Cecchi warned that the Somali Hawiye had too many camels, horses and fighting men, that it would be impossible to challenge them but instead to spread the gradual appeal of Pax Italia by encouraging industry, economic concessions from Bantu slave labour, salarying chiefs and satellite defence against other European interests etc.
1930-1960
Following the winds of change across the African continent on the road to freedom and independence, a number of important political organisations came into play which shaped the colony into a new and emerging burgeoning democracy. Though Somaliwayn or Greater Somalia was always in the conscience of the typical Somali, it was later politicised and encouraged by colonial and foreign powers e.g Italy’s “La Grande Somalia” or Britain’s “Bevins Plan” in their attempt to appeal to Somalis to unite under a favoured or competing Governing Authority in the last days yolk of Colonial Rule.
The first Somali political organisations were founded in the 1920s, the Patriotic Beneficence Union (founded in Benadir) and the Somali Islamic Organisation founded by Haji Farah Oomaar in 1925 in Somaliland though based in Yemen. Inspired by Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi of the Indian National Congress of the 1930s, the SIO became subsequently put down as the British had detected anti colonial activity that went beyond petty business and social relation conflict resolution. It would later on inspire the northern SNL. In the 1940s, with the end of the 2nd World War near, the British taking over Italian abandoned posts (after the collapse of the Italian East African empire) and the winds of freedom reaching Africa, a number of key political organisations were established in Somalia such as the Somali Youth Club (1943). Founded by 13 men of important households encouraged by European modern supervision with Abdulkhadir Sakhawudeen voted by all as its chairman for his prominent role in originally mobilising the group. The majority of the group were southerners, discerning their closer link to Sakhawudeen who brought them together with other more northern groups, they succeeded to steer and unite the groups under a pan Somali leadership, uniting the Hisbia Dastur Mustaqil, Benadir Youth Union and Liberale, all throughout the colonial era through moderation between political views on the East and West and general affinity with both the Arab and African World. This was achieved in 1947 with a Four Power Comission appointed by the UN to determine Somalia’s fate after the World War. The secretary of the Somali Youth Club (SYC) Abdullahi Issa, of the Saad Habargidir had liaised with all the parties on determining a way forward and supporting a neutral power in the short change event of eventual independence, naming his organisation the Somali Youth League (SYL) and the decisioning of the Four Powers (US, Russia, France, UK) which saw Italy return but under UN supervision for 10 years to prepare Somalis for self governance. The Four Powers had tussled for their own interests and reasons in making this decision. This included negotiations over Ethiopia, Libya and elsewhere. By 1960, Somalia had achieved independence with the work of the first President Aden Abdulle and his first Prime Minister Abdullahi Issa. They encouraged a culture of political partyism and sometimes formed coalitions. Aden Abdulle initially set a limit of 6 parties.
The organization of political parties in Somalia began in May 1943 with the foundation of the Somali Youth Club, which is mainly made up of young traders, teachers, clergy and administrative employees joining the two largest Samale clan, the Darod and Hawiya. The Hawiya, from the beginning of the colonial era, who were most directly confronted with colonial influences and political events in the capital Mogadishu, which is a majority Hawiya city, had political and organizational experiences ahead of the Darod. The Darod, on the other hand, formed the backbone of the Somalia Gendarmerie, which was responsible for the nationwide spread of the SYC cell. In 1947, the SYC was renamed the SYL, the age was raised from 30 to 60 years and a centralised organization was implemented in which the central committee elected annaully by the party congress and developed into the most important governing body. One of the issues to tackle included developing a unified written language. Originally favouring Arabic, the historically preferred script as it had been in use for centuries (Wadaads Writing) some had however suggested using rather native scripts. For example, according to some Somali sources, it would seem that as long as the characters of the Osmanya script invented Osman Yusuf Kenadid were called “Somali characters” they had no difficulty in spreading and would have been accepted with good accord by all. At a given moment, it seems, they returned to calling them Osmanya characters - it is difficult to establish why and when - and this fact immediately gave rise to suspicions of a regionalistic order with the consequence of research and invention of other national alphabets. If this information is true, it is understandable the return to Arabic, mentioned above, by the leaders of the League and the abandonment of teaching Somali.
The picture above was taken in 1947, includes household families of the political order such as the Imamate of Hiraab (bottom middle), the sultanate of Hobyo on the left, Sheikh Begedi founder of the Hisbia Digil Mirifle 2nd to the right, and the Uwaysiya family of Sheikh Sakhawudin founder of the SYC.
During the 1960s Somali Government
Indépendance de la Somalie / History Archives
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_Y4JvtAiLA
(Somalia Independence Parade in 1960)
https://youtu.be/8MYLDn5ArpQ?si=6WsaHUm9EW8bwUUP
(Video of Somalia cutting diplomatic ties with Britain in 1963 lasting around 4 years)
https://youtu.be/yztLlTW9Rts?si=KJoMoJ8rQ5OrTM-T
(Somalia Independence Parade in 1966)
https://youtu.be/Z0pdrOQbmT0
(President Osman visiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1966)
The Hiiraan region (Hiran in Italian) is said to be the home and origin of Somalia’s founding fathers. As well as the first President and Prime Minister being of this region, as was Sheikh Ali Jimale who was the first politician to compete for Presidency against the incumbent first President, Chief Sandhool Guure, the 1942 Hamar Youth Club founder Haji Mohamed Huseen (first Vice President of SYL) and the Somali National Uniom (SANU) by Dr Maxamed Raajis, both whom were Benadiri, Bendhabow of Xawaadle origins in Hiiraan. As was the SYL founder, Abdulkadir Sheikh Sakahwudeen, a Bravanese Shangamaasi, of the Xajjuwa family also with origins in Hintire Jambelle (now claimed by MP Dalha of the .5 clans) of the Dooy (Hiiraan to Bakool) region. Correcting an earlier statement besides the Waceysle Abgaal founders, the last two of the five were said to be Osman Baarbe (Maxamed “Cabdi Sheikh” Mudulood) and Khaliif Huudow Macalin Cabdule (Ajuuraan). Generally however, the 50s and 60s politics in Somalia tended to be dominated by a select few clans, like the Mudulood (Aden Abdulle) and Sacad Habargidir (Isse), representing Hawiye, Majerteyn (Shermarke & Hussein), representing Darod almost exclusively and benefting from being the Darod “soletrader” and the Habar Awal (Isaaq) also benefitting from being the Isaaq “soletrader”. This made the Hawiye, what colonial spectators called, the “floating vote of the 60s” — for their abundance in seats and numbers but a lack of cohesion around a uniting figure, most Hawiye politicians of this era were seeking to outwit each other at an asking price after President Aden reran for elections in 1967 and the other major clans (Darod, Dir and Rahanwayn) were jockeying to finally retire the Hawiye leadership.
The family of Baarbe on SBC Somali TV commemorating his history
There was also Sheikh Mukhtar Hussein, the 3rd President of Somalia, a founder of Hisbul Dastur Mustaqil (HDMS) and later an SYL politician, from the Hadame of Gaaljecel rooted in Hiiraan.
The expansion of the SYL’s political message had reached Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya. A pan Somali conference of the late 50s saw each of the 5 historical regions of the flag (designed in Mogadishu 1954 under the auspices of Abdullahi Issa and passed by parliament) send their representatives to Mogadishu to discuss a united show of force. A particular famous character includes Mohamud Harbi, leading the Djibouti team, died mysteriously shortly after on a plane crash. Though the flag and constitution designed by the SYL was somewhat partial to Italian interests in Mogadishu, Harar was also suggested as Capital, an ancient town often called the 4th capital of Islam. Activity in the NFD area in support of Greater Somalia also drew attention. Eventually the offices of the SYL in all 3 countries were closed by their respective colonial powers but the struggle of greater Somalia remained symbolic. This would lead to future disputes over local aspiration such as the Bale Revolt1 (1963) and the Border War (1964) both with Ethiopia and the Shifta War with Kenya (1963-1967). This lead to a Defense Pact signed in 1965 by Ethiopia and Kenya to support each other in mutual defence over their territories.
Beyond these political schisms, President Aden succeeded in maintaining Somali unity with exemplary leadership, making Somalia a prominent member of the Organisation of African Unity (now known as the AU), the Muslim World Congress (now known as the OIC) and the Non Aligned Movement. Under his tenure, Somalia also successively carried out a constitutional referendum, a Presidential Election (in 1961 against Sheikh Ali Jimale of the Hawadle clan from Beledweyne) and a Party election in 1964. Ties with the Soviets and China were pursued in 1963 after Somalia cut diplomatic ties with Britain in protest over the referendum illegally managed in Kenya’s Somali province. It suffices to say there was not a single political prisoner from 1960–1967 under this tenure. A peaceful democracy with exemplary leadership.
Suffice to say, in the 1964 Border War with Ethiopia, the following four officers recieved the highest medals of honour in service of the nation’s defence. With General Daud Abdulle Hersi (Abgaal) as the Commanding Officer of the War and Commissionary Extraordinaire of the “Ogaden Region”, he appointed some of the figures below to man the three border posts against Ethiopia attempting a triumvate attack — attacking Hargeisa via Tog Wajaale, attacking Gaalkacyo via Goldogob and attacking Beledweyne via Mustaxiil.
- Colonel Ibrahim Warfaa “Doonyaale” (Habargidir Saleban) who led the first brigade (Birjeex brigade) into Ethiopia from the Gaalkacyo border command centre. A song was commemorated for him at Radio Mogadishu by famous singer Saynab Cali Baxsan.
- Colonel Mohamed Abdulle “Xalane” (Habargidir, Duduble). Was also the only Somali ifficer ever given a post humous medal of honour and raised in rank to a Colonel.
- Colonel Salad Gabeyre Kediye (Abgaal, Wacaysle), commanding officer who also led the northern front at Tog Wajaale, heading the logistics and mechanised division. He would later become head of the Military Academy and Mobilisation before taking a more prominent role in the lead up to the 1969 coup.
- Colonel Elmi Nur (Murusade, Abakar), led a front into Ethiopia from the Hiiraan area. He caught special attention from Haile Selassie for capturing and killing over 200 Ethiopian combatants during the War before participating in the next 77 War.
