The Abaskuul, Abasguul, Abasgul or Abaskul (Somali: ''Abasguul'', ''Abaskuul''. Arabic: ابسغول) is a Somali sub-clan of the Habar Maqdi Jidwaaq, Absame,

Darod The Darod (, ) is a Somali clan. The forefather of this clan is Sheikh Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, more commonly known as Darod. The clan primarily settles the apex of the Horn of Africa and its peripheries, the Somali hinterlands adjacent ...

line. The Abaskuul mainly reside between

Jigjiga Jijiga (, , ''Jijiga'') is the capital city of Somali Region, Ethiopia. It became the capital of the Somali Region in 1995 after it was moved from Gode. Located in the Fafan Zone with 75 km (37 mi) west of the border with Somali ...

and Degahbur in the

Somali Region The Somali Region (, , ), also known as Soomaali Galbeed () and officially the Somali Regional State, is a Regions of Ethiopia, regional state in eastern Ethiopia. It is the largest region of Ethiopia. The state borders the Ethiopian regions ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

, but also have settlements in

Jubaland Jubaland (; ; ), or the Juba Valley (), is a States and regions of Somalia, Federal Member State in southern Somalia. Its eastern border lies no more than east of the Jubba River, stretching from Dolow to the Indian Ocean, while its western si ...

(

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

) and

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

. They share borders with the

Ogaden Ogaden (pronounced and often spelled ''Ogadēn''; , ) is one of the historical names used for the modern Somali Region. It is also natively referred to as Soomaali Galbeed (). The region forms the eastern portion of Ethiopia and borders Somalia ...

, Bartire, and

Habar Awal The Habr Awal, alternately known as the Zubeyr Awal (, , Full Name: '' Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ash- Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad)'' is one of the largest subclans of the wider Isaaq clan family, and is further divided into eight sub-clans of whom t ...

clans. The Abaskuul were famously described in Richard Burton's ''First Footsteps in East Africa,'' as well as ''17 Trips to Somaliland and a Visit to Abyssinia'' by Captain Harald G. C. Swayne.

Distribution

The Abaskuul clan makes up a significant portion of the Fafan and Middle-Juba valleys in Ethiopia's

and Somalia, respectively. Fafan is also generally regarded as the most densely populated region in the Somali Region, given that a large majority of the inhabitants are agro-pastoralists. In addition to

, the Abaskuul make the majority of inhabitants of the neighboring districts such as Mulla, Kebribeyah, and Araarso. In Somalia, the clan is mostly centered around

Bu'aale Bu'ale ( ) is an agricultural town in Southern Somalia, the capital of the Middle Juba Middle Juba (, , ) is an administrative region (''Administrative divisions of Somalia, gobol'') in southern Somalia. With its capital at Bu'aale, it is loca ...

and Naasiriya districts in Middle Juba, along with Bartire, whom they make up Jidwaaq together. There are also pockets of long-term Abaskuul settlements in Somaliland, particularly the Isse-subclan, in parts of Sool. They have a representation in Somaliland. Skirmishes between the Abaskuul and the Fiqishinni in Adhicadeeye ended with government settlement.

Clan tree

The clan tree of Abaskuul delineates as follows: * Absame **

** Bal’ad ** Weytein (Habar Maqdi) ** Jidwaaq (Habar Maqdi) *** Barre Jidwaaq ( Bartire) *** Rooble Jidwaaq ( Abaskuul) ***Shahrudin Jidwaaq (Yabaree)

Notable figures

The Abaskuul clan have produced many notable figures, including: * Hawo Osman (Taako), Somali Republic martyr and struggle figure

References

{{reflist Somali clans Darod