THE STRUGGLES OF ABDIRAHMAN MURSAL. c.1896-1929 Abdirahman Mursal was one of the Ogaden leaders who had early contacts with the British colonial officials dating from 1896.

 THE STRUGGLES OF ABDIRAHMAN MURSAL. c.1896-1929 Abdirahman Mursal was one of the Ogaden leaders who had early contacts with the British colonial officials dating from 1896. He fought against the British colonial agents especially Lt. Will, and Capt. Tanner who were sent hy the British consul in Zanzihar to explore the hinterland of Kismayu in 1897.43 Afterwards Ahdirahman M ursal became a colonial agent who served Briti.sh expansion in jubiland very well , especially during the time of the first sub-commissioner, J.W.c. Jenner from 1897-- 1900. He took part in many expeditions against the Marehan and the Mohamed Zuheir clans who resisted British rule at this time and took a leading role in the expedition of f903 against the Mohamed Zuheir for the murder of Jenner in 1900. He Hved in Serenli area on the west bank of the Juha River where most of his followers grazed their livestock. Like all Somali leaders of that era , he wanted to take advantage of British rule and therehy serve his own interests rather than those of British imperialism. To achieve this end, he clashed several times with the British Colonial officers such as Capt. Salkeld, the Assistant 42. Ibid. 43. Ibid. 38 District Commissioner for lubaland, and Mr Hope, the Provincial Commissioner in 1909. After 1910, Abdirahman Mursal came under suspicion of creating intrigue among the clans especially between the Marehan and the Auliyahan; and Captain Bois, the officer in charge : . of Serenli, where Abdirahman was based, decided not to utilize his services as government agent in northern lubaland province.44 Abdirahman Mursal was the chief of the Auliyahan sub-clan in Serenli district in northern lubaland province and therefore had to safeguard the interest of his sub-clan c·rom rival clans notably the Marehan who were expanding southwards from Ethiopia. There were constant raids and counter-raids between these two neighbouring clans in the period 1896-1917, especially as both groups were migrating from the turmoil in the north caused by Sayyid Mohamed Abdille Hassan's resistance to not only British rule but also Abyssinian and Italian colonialism. The Marehan and the Auliyahan came with a lot weapons which they used to raid each other and the neighbouring clans. The new Governor of the Protectorate in 1913, Sir Henry Belfield, adopted the policy of observation and did not intervene on behalf of any clan. The British were neutral as far as these two clans were concerned. This ean be understood because the British were heavily engaged during this period in suppressing the struggles waged by Sayyid Mohamed Abdille Hassan, 'the Mad Mulla', in British Somaliland. The British were also engaged in various 'punitive' expeditions against the Kikuyu in 1901, Kipsigis in 1902 and 1905, and the Giriama in 1914. Hence the British officials whether in Nairobi or London did not want to engage themselves with the Ogaden Somalis in lub~land as it ·would require ·a lot of uncalled-for exp,enses. So the policy formulated by London and Nairobi to the officers on the spot was to observe but not to act on the situation. However, 'by 1919 the situation in northern lubaland had become serious'45 and lawlessness became the order of the day. The British administratIon was forced to brIng peace between these two traditional enemies. Whereas the Marehan were prepared to observe the truce negotiated by the local administrator, Captain Elliot. Abdirahman rejected the peace deals until the Marehan had brought back looted livestock. Elliot had no choice but to give an ultimatum to Abdirahman and his people to obey government orders. It was at this stage 44. Ibid. 45. Moyse-Bartlett, Kings African Rifles, p.434. 39 that Abdirahman requested to be given a day to consult with his elders concerning the ultimatum. Instead of coming to the negotiating haraza, however, Abdirahman and his people sacked Fort Serenli on the evening of 10 March 1916. The unsuspecting British forces at the ·c • fort were mercilessly routed and the District Commissioner, Captain Elliot, was murdered by Abdirahman Mursal 'with his own hand' . 46 The Auliyahan then began systematic looting of government stores and even the local business community was not spared. The ~ - - government was forced to evacuate Fort Serenli to Kismayu in the south and Moyale to the north west. For two years Abdirahman Mursal was the authority in northern Jubaland and the British could do nothing as it was the peak of the First World War. The sacking of Serenli was unique, in lubaland' s history because' of the vast damage that had befallen the British in the Jubaland,47 and it was only comparable to the lawlessness and destruction of both property and looting that was taking place in British Somali land in the north in the same period. The casualties were disheartening for 'over 35 IK.A.R] soldiers were killed and about 50 civilians lost their lives,48 during-the sacking of Serenli. The Auliyahan looted the town for two days and the remainder of the loot was !hrow?jIito the River luba. The other Somali clans, however, according to Abdille Hassan Illey, 'viewed the whole scenario with a lot of apprehension. They claimed that the Auliyahan did not know what to do with the sugar that was looted and had thrown it into the river so that their camels could drink sweetened water'. 49 Yet this was a scorched-earth policy adopted by the . -- -' Auliyahan to 'deny the British forces supplies if they were to counter-attack Abdirahman's forces,50 used in South Africa. - It was not until August 1917 that the 5th K. A. R under Lt. Col. Barret was despatched to Serenli to deal with the Auliyahan. But the Auliyahan had already retreated with their stock towards the upper re"clches of the Juba River and w.yre not even in Serenli. Hence Captain Martin of the 5th K.A.R was sent to capture Abdirahman dead or alive. In this operation against the Auliyahan, 'over 5,000 camels were brought in, 402 large-bore rifles and 16,000 46. KNA, Microfilm, 533/391/4. 47. Interview with Abdille Hassan Illey, Wajir, March 1996. 48. Moyse-Bartlett, Kings African Rifles, pp.434-435. 49. Interview with Abdille Hassan Illey, Wajir, March 1996. 50. Ibid. 40 rounds of ammunition,51 were captured by the British forces. As for Abdirahman, he escaped to Ethiopia where he lived as a senior chief of the Auliyahan until his death in 1937.52