Shabelle Region a Fountainhead for Somali Resistance and Liberation

By Mohamed Haji Mukhtar
Savannah State University
Savannah, Georgia, USA

In spite of improvement at the political level, the general security situation in Somalia remains chaos and volatile. Eyewitness accounts reported that more than 30 people are killed last week in Marka, the capital of Lower Shabelle region of Somalia and over 250 are displaced. In late March, 2014 eight peace-makers representing the Shabelle people in the peace-building conference of Baidoa were murdered in between Bur Hakaba and Daafeet on their way home. In the Somali tradition peace-makers are spared from any harm. They are known as Lama-Dilaan or Biri-Ma-Goydo (immune from the spear). The Federal Government of Somalia in Mogadishu is watching the Shabelle atrocities without lifting a finger. The war mongers and land grabbers from central and northeastern regions bent on annexing the Shabelle region by any means.

90% of individuals who are currently holding key positions in the Shabelle region are Habargedir and the rest are other Hawiye sub-clans such as Murusade and Abgal just to mention some. These positions include: Chairman of security, Chairman of Regional Humanitarian Aid, Director of Land Planning, just to mention some. There are no significant positions given to the local communities, safe some puppets.

This is not the first time that Marka is sacked and its people uprooted. People of Shabelle have always been threatened by outsiders envious of their wealth and location, controlling both local and international trade. However, the people of Marka and Shabelle have always also resisted conquest. The Ajuran, for instance who came to dominate the entire Shabelle valley and took Marka as their capital, were eventually driven out, by the late 17th century. In the early 19th century the Geledi sultanate suffered disastrous defeats from people of Marka. The Omanis of Zanzibar were humiliated in 1860 when they invaded Banadir to impose tribute that they denied.

Marka was nearly a thousand years old when the European “scramble for Africa” began in the 1880s. Italy nominally took control of the Benadir coast in 1890, but Marka and people of its environs resisted the Italian occupation. In 1893, the first Italian resident of Marka was killed, which was followed by the assassination of Giaccomo Trevis in 1897. About 60 miles north of Marka, people of Lafoole defeated the Italian invaders and killed some 82 troops including the commander Antonio Cecchi in 1896. This was a very humiliating defeat, where the Italian press dubbed as “the strega di lafoole” (Lafoole massacre), but for the Shabelle people, Lafoole was glorious. This triggered the Italian occupation of another port town, Jazira, in between Marka and Mogadishu. The Geledi sultan called for a shir, “clan assembly” mobilizing the Shabelle clans including Biamal, the Wa’dan, the Hintire, the Begedi and other clans of the confederacy, against the Italian advance, and decided to blockade Banadir ports and sanction from the interior trade. The sanction worked and Italy was kept at bay until 1908. At Trunley also known as Dhanane, more Italian troops arrived to rescue their garrisons in Jazira and Marka. Italy had high casualties but claimed victory. However, at Finlow the Shabelle resistance avenged defeating some 500 Italian troops. These incidents only added to Marka’s reputation as a city hostile to foreigners.

In 1922, Sheikh Faraj known also as Sufi Baraki, launched a campaign against colonial activities on the Lower Shabelle region. He united several Qadiriya Jama’a (religious settlements): Bulo Mareerto, Golwiing, Mukhi Dumis and others scattered across the Shabelle region, and set his headquarters in Barawe, the birthplace of Sheikh Uways al-Barawi, founder of Qadiriya order in Somalia. In 1923 Sufi Baraki traveled to Bioley the headquarters of Uwaysiya and where Sheikh Uways’s shrine is visited annually. Down there he coordinated with an anti-Dervish and anti-Italian movement led by Malak Hassan Borow of Jilibow, Sarman. The Bioley movement supported Sufi Baraki with over 200 men led by Sharif Alyow al-Sarmani and collected material resources for the war against Italian colonialism. Upon return to Barawe, Sufi Baraki and Sharif Alyow established training camps in Dhai-Dhai and Qorile, 40km Northeast of Barawe. The Italian authority was troubled by these developments. The movement dispatched delegations throughout the Shabelle region to recruit more supporters. Sheikh Murjaan, a prominent Qadiri leader in the lower Juba, blessed the movement and also contributed men and money. The colonial authority felt endangered, and, as preemptive measures sought to negotiate with the leaders to prevent attacks. This move failed, thus, colonial troops were sent to strike Dhai-Dhai and Qorile, but defeated. Sufi Baraki considered this victory as a miracle and reinvigorated his jihadic movement. It inspired the Akhwan, and stood firmly on the defense of their camps when Italy in October 20, 1924 sent more forces to take over Dhai-Dhai and Qorile. In these battles, Italian invaders were forced to retreat and leave behind their dead and injured. However, in May 31, 1925, colonial troops captured Sufi Baraki and murdered him. Meanwhile Sharif Alyow survived and eventually retreated to Bioley and continued struggle until he died.

From 1922, another rebellion against the Italians was organized in the Upper Shabelle region. This rebellion was led by the millenarian Sheikh Hassan Barsane of Jiliale. Barsane built an efficient army and challenged Italian forces advancing to the interior of Somalia. In early March 1924, Barsane was given an ultimatum to hand over all arms and ammunitions to the Italian authority within forty days. Immediately and in mid-March, Barsane called a shir, where the participants, inflamed with millenarian zeal, and denounced the Italian ultimatum. Barsane mobilized his forces and reminded them that “the world is close to its end. It is better to die while defending our Muslim country.” Indeed, Sheikh Hassan Barsane remained defending Upper Shabelle region until his fall in the hands of the Italians and killed in jail in 1928.

Since independence, Shabelle region was the economic lifeline of the country, the breadbasket of Somalia. At independence, almost all Italian Azendas and industries were taken over by the Hawiye in disguise of state concessions. From 1956-70, people from Shabelle region were virtually absent from the national assemblies and legislatures. They never held ministerial positions, diplomatic posts, and national educational and cultural, institutions. From 1964-1991, all Shabelle fertile lands were appropriated by the Darood. The resettlements of nomads from the central and northeastern regions in 1973-74 in Jalalaqsi, Kurtun Warey and Sablale appropriated more fertile land at the expense of Shabelle farmers. The decision in 1972 to adopt Af-Maxaa, the language of central and northern regions, as the official language of the government and education further isolated the non Af-Maxaa speakers of the region from the political mainstream. Shabelle region is a multilingual region. Af-Jiddu, Af-Tunni, Af-Chimini, Af-Asharaf and Af-Karre, are just some of them. Indeed, Af-Maay which is the lingua franca in the whole southern region was also alienated.

During the civil wars, people of Shabelle region have suffered a lot from militias belonged to warlords of Mudug and central regions. These warlords created Banana Republics, where inhabitants of Shabelle were reduced to slaves. Among stories that I collected in 1995: a 29 years old man was killed because he ate 2 bananas as he worked as virtual slave on a plantation, and a women who gave birth after being forced all day. People of Shabelle, you have a stellar record in fighting for your rights. You have been victorious when you were organized. You have been doing it on your own. The government who you are waiting help from is not any different from previous governments who appropriated your fertile land to their clansmen; is not any different from those governments who marginalized your culture. Indeed, it is a government that a colleague of mine the poet Dr. Mohamud Siad Togane labels it as the government of “Dulmi jadiid.” Remember, during the wars of resistance and liberation to colonial occupation, a local lashin “poet” attacked those who refused to take up arms against the colonial invaders.

Reer Janna waa jidgaleene (Those who resist are heaven bound)
Reer Jahima iska jooga (Those who submit can stay home in Hell where they belong)
It is time that Shabelle people wake up and stand up for their rights. It is also time to the rest of other Somali regions to support the right cause and lend a helping hand to their wronged brethren. Somalia has been hostage for central and northeastern regions. These two regions kept Somalia into its shameful reality. Somalia can only stand again on its feet and have its honorable place in the world stage if, and only if Somalis stand up and fight for their rights.