Issa and Gurgura Liberation Front
Issa and Gurgura Liberation Front (IGLF) was a political faction in eastern Ethiopia, led by Riyaale Ahmed. IGLF, which is based amongst the Issa clan in northern Hararghe, evolved out of the Iil Tire division of the Western Somali Liberation Front. During its initial period of existence, it engaged in clashes with the Somali National Movement around the Ethiopia-Somalia border.
Around 1992 IGLF was involved in clashes with the dominant Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). During this period IGLF sabotaged the Addis Ababa - Djibouti Railway.
However, later IGLF reconciled with the government. In 1993 it took part in the formation the government of the Somali Region, together with the Ogaden National Liberation Front. Mahdi Ahmed became the secretary of the government.
In 1994 IGLF merged into the Ethiopian Somali Democratic League, the EPRDF partner in the Somali region.
January 1993: The founding conference of the council for Region 5 began 21 January. The executive committee members elected Abdullahi Muhammed Sa=di President, Siyad Badri Muhammed Vice President, and Mahdi Ahmad Warsameh Secretary. The president and vice president are from the ONLF and Warsameh is of the Isa and Gurgura Liberation Front.
12 February 1994: Ten Ethiopian Somali organizations merged to form the Ethiopian Somali Democratic League (ESDL).
Elsewhere in eastern Ethiopia, the TGE experienced problems with the Isa and Gurgura Liberation Front (IGLF). On October 4, 1991, clashes between government forces and IGLF rebels resulted in the temporary closure of the Addis Ababa- Djibouti railroad near Dire Dawa and the disruption of trade between the two countries. The fighting also disrupted famine relief distribution to nearly 1 million refugees in eastern Ethiopia. By early 1992, the IGLF still had refused to recognize the EPRDF's right to maintain security in the Isa-populated area around Dire Dawa. By 1993, nonetheless, improved conditions allowed the Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad to operate on a fairly regular basis.
Bordode/Mieso
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/eue_web/jijigmay.htm
The Horyaal Democratic Party was founded by the Dir Gadabursi clan; their area of influence straddles the Somaliland border and incorporated the Dire Dawa, Jijiga and the Awbar zones.
On 9 February 1994, at a meeting in Hurso near Dire-Dawa a new political party called the Ethiopian Somali Democratic League (ESDL) was founded. This party claims to represent the objectives and needs of the Ethiopian-Somali people; giving particular attention to and observing the cultural and traditional practices of the people; and giving due regard to the local constitution (Heer).
This new party aims to develop a stronger link with the Transitional Government in accordance with Article 9, Title 6 of the ESDL constitution which states: " I am fed up of my father and my father brought me his father! " states a Somali proverb. (Posted by guest: shalac) (Posted by guest: sahal)
GLF (Gurgura Liberation Front) led by Abdelasis Ahmed; HDP (Horiyal Democratic Party), from the WSLF (Western Somali Liberation Front), led by Abdi Ismail and representing the Gadabursi; the IGLF (Issa and Gurgura Liberation Front), headed by Riyaale Ahmed, which, since a split in 1991, only defends Issa interests (essentially the control of the Djibouti-Ethiopian railway line).
The pro-government ESDL which hope to become part of the EPRDF is headed by current Transport minister Abdulmejid Hussein (Issa Habar Awal). It has 76 of the 139 seats in the Regional Council and 15 of the Somali Region's 23 seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives, as well as the two seats for the autonomous city of Dire Dawa.
However, later IGLF reconciled with the government. In 1993 it took part in the formation the government of the Somali Region, together with the Ogaden National Liberation Front. Mahdi Ahmed became the secretary of the government.
In 1994 IGLF merged into the Ethiopian Somali Democratic League, the EPRDF partner in the Somali region.
THE ETHIOPIAN SOMALI POLITICAL PARTIES ETHIOPIAN SOMALI DEMOCRATIC LEAGUE
§ The pro-government ESDL which hope to become part of the EPRDF is headed by current Transport minister Abdulmejid Hussein (Issa Habar Awal). It has 76 of the 139 seats in the Regional Council and 15 of the Somali Region's 23 seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives, as well as the two seats for the autonomous city of Dire Dawa. Though it has little support among the Ogaden, the ESDL is backed by the northern clans, the Issaq, Dir (Issa, Gadabursi, Gurgure) and the non-Ogaden Darod (Bartire, Yabare, Mejertein, Dhulbahante).
The ESDL was set up in February 1994 by merging some dozen Somali political and clan groups, including
§ DAL (Democratic Action League) led by Mohamed Shek Ibrahim, representing Ethiopian Issas Dir
§ ESDM (Ethiopian Somali Democratic Movement), close to the SNM (Somali National Movement) of Somaliland
§ and very divided; GLF (Gurgura Liberation Front) led by Abdelasis Ahmed(Dir);
§ HDP (Horiyal Democratic Party), from the WSLF (Western Somali Liberation Front), led by Abdi Ismail and representing the Gadabursi Dir
§ IGLF (Issa and Gurgura Liberation Front), headed by Riyaale Ahmed, which, since a split in 1991, only defends Issa interests (essentially the control of the Djibouti-Ethiopian railway line).
§ Isa Tigers Association (ITA) Riyaale Ahmed
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Political Organizations Of Issas
Democratic Action League DAL early political movement of Issas in Ethiopia was led by Mohammed Sheikh Ibrahim
Issa Gurgure Libration Front IGLF led by Riyaal Ahmed uniting two powerful Dir clans until the Gurgure split in 1991, IGLF name continued even though a Gurgure by the name Abdul Aziz formed the independent Gurgure Libration Front which worked with their next door cousins.
After the defeat of the Western Somali Liberation Front, the Issa Division remained under the name Issa and Gurgura Liberation Front . She continued to receive support from Somalia and joined the EPRDF. In 1987, the Autonomous Region of Dire Dawa was created for the Issa (which had previously belonged to the province of Xararge) as part of a new administrative division of Ethiopia. Since the EPRDF took over in 1991, the Issa areas in Ethiopia are part of the ethnic definition Somali region.[2]
8 Schraeder (1991:75) wrote as “While the blue and the green are for the major population groups, the Afars and Issas, with the triangle indicating the unity between them in their struggle for independence as indicated by the red star, Djibouti’s president explained the blue as a symbol of the sea and sky, green for the earth, and white for peace’. Afars are said to favour green as representative of their Muslim heritage, while the Issas are said to favour blue as it is the primary colour of the Somali flag.” (The Somali flag also contains a star, one point of which is representative of Djibouti as one part of the still divided Somali nation).
9 According to Gamst (2005:179) Somalis call the terrain guban (burnt land) while Afars claim the word Djibouti derived from an Afar word gabouti (a plate woven of doum-palm fibers and braised on a small pedestal (Thompson et al. 1968:8) According to (Al-Shami/Al-Shami 1997:389) when a Frenchman asked an Afar fisherman who was cooking food in the shore about the name of the local name of the country by pointing to the land, then the Afar guy thought that the French man was asking him about what is the name of the pot he was using for cooking. Therefore he replied its Gabouti which means a pot. Bollee (2003:211) also confirms this discourse as ‘The origin of the name is not certain, but it is probably derived from an Afar word meaning ‘pot’.
hese tribal battles are also related to historic migration of both ethnic groups and their interaction over the past 600 years. Some Somalis blame the migration of Oromos since 1500s as an incursion to their land, as Oromos moved east and gradually adopted Islam.
After a mostly Somali army led by Imam Ahmad and the Ottomans invaded the Christian parts of northern Ethiopia (formerly Abyssinia) in 1530s, the northern movement of Oromos led to massive demographic changes and new settlements in the Horn of Africa. While the ethnic makeup of most of the region was being permanently shaped, the eastern Ethiopian areas remained contested due to scarcity of resources and the pastoral nature of its communities. While there was no agreement on boundaries locally, European powers nonetheless began drawing lines and dividing the region among themselves.
Because the Oromo did not keep a written record of the migrations, this article must refer to Ethiopia, Portuguese, and Arabic sources for the reasons behind the migrations. In particular, a 16th-century Tigray monk named Bahrey is the foremost source on the migrations. Written in Ge'ez, his book was called the History of the Galla (Ge'ez: ዜናሁ ፡ ለጋላ zēnahu legalla), "Galla" being an older name for "Oromo" that is now considered a pejorative. This book was written in 1593 and details the expansions from 1522 to his age. In addition to his book, further information can be gleaned from other contemporaries such the Ethiopian monk Abba Paulos, Shihab ed-Din's Futuh al-Habasha "Conquest of Abyssinia", João Bermudes, Francisco de Almeida, Jerónimo Lobo, and various royal chronicles (e.g. those of Gelawdewos, Sarsa Dengel, and Susenyos I, though that of Sarsa Dengel may have been written by Bahrey).
Adal period (1562–1579)
At the same time, Barentu Oromo groups attacked Adal Sultanate, which was weakened by its wars with the Abyssinians and Portuguese Empire leading to no potential resistance. Only a few small groups of Muslims were able to flee to Zeila and survive within the fortified city. The greater part of the Muslim population of Adal mainly the northern Somalis and Hararis was assimilated by the Oromos.[8]
The city Dire Dawa was originally called Dir Dhabe and used to be part of Adal Sultanate during the medieval times and was exclusively settled by Dir which is a major Somali tribe and after the weakening of Adal Sultanate, the Oromos took advantage and were able to penetrate through the city and settle into these areas and also assimilate some of the local Gurgura clan.[9]
The Dir clan used to be the predominant inhabitants of Hararghe Highlands in the medieval times until the weakening of Adal Sultanate the opportunist Oromos took advantage of the crippling state and decided to invade and occupy the Haraghe Highlands and assimilate the local native Somali clan population which were Jarso, Akisho, Gurgura, Nole, Metta, Oborra and Bursuk who were all sub-clans of Dir a major Somali tribe and were later confederated into Oromo tribe, the Afran Qallo clan.[10]
However, the northern Somalis were still strong and were able to successfully resist the Oromo expansion in their territeries and hold them off at Babille, Dire Dawa and Mieso.
Oromo migration was not restricted to Ethiopian territories, however, as activities against Adal were also pursued. The forces of Nur ibn Mujahid (r. 1551/2–1567/8), the Amir of Harar, for instance, were soundly defeated by the Oromo. According to Bahrey, there had been "no such slaughter since the Galla first invaded."[5]
he Oromos are settling in Somali lands along the Shabelle river, especially North of Jigiga.
-They've Oromized Somali groups such as the Akisho, Bursuug, Garre, Jarso, Gurgura and are now claiming majority in Dire Dawa.
-East Haraghe is mostly Somalis but is part of Oromia.
-Harar was one of the largest Islamic centres when Somalis influenced or ruled it. With the Oromo invasion it made it an alcohol & khaat city, destroying the great Islamic heritage it once held.
-Most of Oromia belonged to Somalis when Ahmed Gurey conquered the Habesha kingdom, but the pagans have took all these fertile lands.
-The most endangered qabiil out of all Somalis are the Dir. Other than the Issa, the rest have become part of the Oromo sub clan known as the Afran Qollo.
Hopefully the DDSI can deal with these issues, the Issa are also expanding on the Awash river well done to them.
The Barsuugs are an old Dir clan that joined the Oromo confederation after suffering at the hands of the Egyptians and Habashis that came to control the Harar region. They are also mentioned in Futuh Al Habash as Barsub. As Richard Burton highlights, further down in the page you posted, all the Somali clans in the mountainous area of Harar are Dir or Darood with the exception of the Sheekhal.
Partially False Writing of The British Spy Richard Burton and first stupid fool who tried to destroy the history of the Dir Clan Wrote:
The Eesa, probably the most powerful branch of the Somali nation, extends northwards to the Wayma family of the Dankali; southwards to the Gudabirsi, and midway between Zayla and Berberah; eastwards it is bounded by the sea, and westwards by the Gallas around Harar. It derives itself from Dirr and Aydur, without, however, knowing aught beyond the ancestral names, and is twitted with paganism by its enemies.Cited from First footsteps in East Africa,byRichard F. Burton
The number is said to be small, amounting to about 100 families in the northern Somali country.The Tomal or Handad, the blacksmiths, originally of Aydur race, have become vile by intermarriage with serviles.Cited from First footsteps in East Africa,byRichard F. Burton
The old and pagan genealogies still known to the Somal, are Dirr, Aydur, Darud, and, according to some, Hawiyah.Cited from First footsteps in East Africa,byRichard F. Burton
According to some, Dirr was the father of Aydur; others make Dirr (it has been written Tir and Durr) to have been the name of the Galla family into which Shaykh Ishak married.Cited from First footsteps in East Africa,byRichard F. Burton
Cruttenden applies the term Edoor (Aydur) to the descendants of Ishak, the children of Gerhajis, Awal, and Jailah.Cited from First footsteps in East Africa,byRichard F. Burton
The Gudabirsi, or Gudabursi, derive themselves from Dir and Aydur, thus claiming affinity with the Eesa: others declare their tribe to be an offshoot from the Bahgoba clan of the Habr Awal, originally settled near Jebel Almis, and Bulhar, on the sea-shore. …Cited from First footsteps in East Africa,byRichard F. Burton
One another point you talk about the Oromo invasion of the townb of Harar, but
do not mention that Somalis occupied that region centuries before the arrival
Harari speakers. The history of the Harar regions starts with the Afar and
Somali Dir. These two groups were the fir in that areas - they are refered to
in Ethiopic and Arabic MSS. under Mora (Afar sultanate) and Adal (previously
Awaft/Ifat). If you read various Ethiopic MMS. such as Amda Seyons capiagns you
will come across numerous Afar and Somali (Dir) tribal names; these tow groups
occupied the entire area from Zeyla to eastern Shoa. If you read Ceruli’s work
on the Muslim Sultanate of eastern Shoa - on the Hawash borderlands you will
discover that the Somalis claim to have establish an ancient Sultanate in that
area along with the Afar - centuries before the arrival of Semitic speaking
Argobba and Adari. According to the traditions of the Harar region - the city
was built by Somalis who arrived from the Zeyla region. These Somalis from
various Dir groupings spread across the Horn of Africa at an early date - in
what is today Arussi Countyry - the Somalis settled at Sheikh Hussein (who was
a Somali) and further west befire the Oromo arrived. Later they became absorbed
by the Oromo. That is why Oromo tribes the Arussi, Itu, Ala, etc have many
Somali tribal names - such as Warra Bursuk (The Bursuk are a Somali clan);
Warra Geri (the Geri are a Somali clan); Warra Ali, etc. etc. Thus the Oromo
came accross the Somalis when they arrive in the area - the ancient traditions
which explain how the various Orom clans (15th/16th) fought against the Somalis
have been collected by myself but have yet to be piblished. The Sultanate of
Dawaro, Adal, Awfat, and Mora were dominated by Afar-Somali tribes. The Adari
(Harari) did not control Adal - they were completely dependent on first the
Somali Dir, and then later on the Somali Darod clans, especially the Geri who
came to dominate the area between Jigiga and Harar.
May I stress that the Somalis played the main role in bringing Islam to the
surrounding Oromos. The Harari did not venture outside their gates. For
example, the Holy shrine of Shiekh Hussein is an extremely impotant Islamic
centre - This ancient shiekh was a Somali - prof. Andreski (the famous
linguist) interviewed his descendant in Merca - the head of the main mosque is
a direct descendant. Merca is a Somali town on the Indian Ocean (inhabited the
Somali Dir clan). The custodians of the shrine/tomb of shiekh Hussein are
Somalis - the tradional custodians have always been Somali. Again the role of
Somalis in propergating Islam has never been recognised by Western Scholar?
Why? Even the Maldive Islands off India rembere how the Somali Sheikh (13th
century) called Shiekh. Awbarkhadle came and converted them - he is remebred
in Somalia - and also appears in Arabic/Ethiopic MSS. in associating with the
Walsama Dynasty (Muslim Dynasty eastern Shoa/Hawas - old Somali-Afar Sultanes
of Awfat/Adal) - however this is casually forgotten by current writers of
history - even Mohamed Haasan does not cover the ancient Somali presence in
eastern Ethiopia. Why? What I hwe affraid of. Even the history of th Borana
reveals that the Somalis inhabited Bale, NFD and the Turkan lake and lake
Stephanie region before the Oromo speaking Tribes - clusters of Somali tribes
are still found as far west as the southern Karauy areas and even beyond - the
Garre Somalis and numerous other pre-Hawiya tribes which belong to the Somali
ethnic grouping inhabited these area long before the Oromo - but that is never
mentioned ? Why? I haven'y even touched upon the other Somali groups - e.g.
Mandile, etc.
Beesha Xarla waa Dir waana beel hada Darood isku dayo in sheegto
In the east, the Harar Oromo absorption of Semitic Harala ethnic groups is
>well noted: --” The ancestors of the Barentu-Oromo occupied the Harar
>Plateau from the 1570’s onwards and gradually assimilated the
>Semitic-speaking Harala and Harari. However, Harar itself survived as a
>Muslim town and subsequently played an essential role in the Islamization of
>the Oromo conquerors.”
SDA Dir Gadabuursi Med. Faarax Cabdullaahi Asharo USF Dir Ciise Cabduraxmaan Dualle Cali SSNM Dir Biyomaal Cabdulcasiis sheekh Yuusuf Cabdi Warsame Isxaaq SNU Banaadiri Cumar Mungani Aweys Med. Rajis Maxamed SDM ...
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