Arabic
Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
: أكيشو) is a northern Somali clan, a sub-division of the Dir clan family.
Overview
As a Dir sub-clan, the Akisho have immediate lineal ties with the Issa, the
Gadabuursi
The Gadabuursi (Somali language, Somali: ''Gadabuursi'', Arabic language, Arabic: جادابورسي), also known as ''Samaroon'' (Arabic language, Arabic: ''قبيلة سَمَرُون)'', is a northern Somali clan, a sub-division of the Dir ...
Qubeys
Qubeys قبيس سر در is a branch of the Surre subclan of the Somali people, which is in turn a branch of the greater Mehe Dir tribe. Qubeys is brother to Abdalle Surre Dir. Surre (Abdalle & Qubeys)
History & overview
Qubeys قبيس, ...
), the
Biimaal
The Bimaal or Bimal, (; Arabic:بيمال) are a sub-clan of the major Dir clan family. This clan is widely known for leading a resistance against the colonials in northern Somalia for decades which can be compared to the war of the Sayyid in So ...
(who the
Gaadsen
The Bimaal or Bimal, (; Arabic:بيمال) are a sub-clan of the major Dir clan family. This clan is widely known for leading a resistance against the colonials in northern Somalia for decades which can be compared to the war of the Sayyid in So ...
Gurgura
The Gurgure, Gorgorah or Gurgura (, ''Gorgorah'' ) is a northern Somali clan, a sub-division of the Dir clan family.I. M. Lewis (1959)
Overview
As a Dir sub-clan, the Gurgura have immediate lineal ties with the Akisho, Gadabuursi, Issa, ...
, the Layiile & (the Quranyow sub-clan to be precise as they claim descent from Dir), Gariire, other Dir sub-clans and they have lineal ties with the
Hawiye
The Hawiye (; ) are one of the principal and largest of the Somali clans, tracing their lineage back to Sheikh Ahmed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Uthman, also known as Sheikh Hawiye, the eponymous figure of the clan. They are considered the earliest do ...
(Irir),
Hawadle
The Hawadle (, , ) are a Somali clan who trace descent to Meyle, one of the sons of Irir Samaale. The Hawadle, as well as many other Somali clans stem from Samaale.
Distribution
The Hawadle primarily live in Hiran and Middle Shabelle as w ...
, Ajuraan,
Degoodi
The Degoodi or Degodia (, ) is a Somali clan.
They are genealogically related to the other Samaale, but in particular to the Garjante, Gaalje'el, Garre, Masare, Isa (Saransor) and 'Awrmale, with which they share the same ancestor Gardhere Sam ...
,
Gaalje'el
The Gaalje'el (), (), () or Habar Tigaalle is one of the largest Somali clans, whose origins traces back to Samaale. The Galje'el clan belong to the major Saransoor, Saransor clans who also are a sub clan of the wider Gardhere Samaale clans.
T ...
clan groups, who share the same ancestor
Samaale
Samaale, also spelled Samali or Samale () is traditionally considered to be the common forefather of several major Somali clans and their respective sub-clans. His name is the source of the ethnonym ''Somali''..
As the purported ancestor of most ...
.The Quranyo section of the Garre claim descent from Dirr, who are born of the Irrir Samal. UNDP Paper in Keyna http://www.undp.org/content/dam/kenya/docs/Amani%20Papers/AP_Volume1_n2_May2010.pdf
Distribution
The Akisho inhabit
Somaliland
Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is an List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country in the Horn of Africa. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, E ...
,
Djibouti
Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...
and
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 ...
, particularly in both 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 ...
and Oromo Region. In Somaliland, Akisho members live in the
Maroodi Jeex
Marodi Jeh (, ), formerly known as Woqooyi Galbeed (lit. ''North West'') is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in western Somaliland. It is the most populous region of the country. It is bordered by Awdal to the west, Sahil to the north, To ...
region, in the cities and towns of
Hargeisa
Hargeisa ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Somaliland, a ''List of states with limited recognition, de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still considered internationally to be part of Somalia. It is also th ...
,
Arabsiyo
Arabsiyo is a town in the Gabiley district of Somaliland. The town is located about 30 km west of Hargeisa.
Education
Primary schools and Secondary schools are available throughout the distric">
Wajaale
Tog Wajaale (also known as Wajaale, Wajale, Tug Wajale, Togwajaale) is a city on the border of Somaliland and Ethiopia. Tog Wajaale is the main border crossing for goods coming in and out of Somaliland, primarily from the port city of Berbera, So ...
, Allaybaday, and Gabiley, In
Djibouti
Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...
Akisho members live in the Ali Sabieh region.
In Ethiopia, where the Akisho are among the most widespread Somali group, Akisho members inhabit
Jijiga
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 Som ...
, Qordhere, Dire Dewa, Bale (Nagelle), Babile, Fayanbiro, Qabri-Bayah, Fiq, Hara-Maaya, Harar, Obra, and Dadar. Fadeyga godanta booraale gursum and many more geographical regions. Currently, the sultan of the Akisho clan is Muhiyadiin Odawa.
Also the Madahweyne Dir, Akisho clan is one of the largest Dir sub-clans within the borders of the Somaliland region of
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 ...
based on the Ethiopian population census.Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Central Statistical Agency Population of Ethiopia for All Regions At Wereda Level from 2014 p. 21 Somali region Many Akisho's live in the Afar region of Ethiopia.
The Akisho live in
Jijiga
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 Som ...
district where they make up a large part of the Kebri Beyah and
Fafan Zone
Fafan () is a zone in Somali Region of Ethiopia. It was previously known as the Jijiga zone, so named after its largest city, Jijiga. Other towns and cities in this zone include Awbare, Derwernache, Lefe Isa, Babile, Kebri Beyah, Harshin, ...
. The Dir-Madaxweyne Akisho, along with the
Gurgura
The Gurgure, Gorgorah or Gurgura (, ''Gorgorah'' ) is a northern Somali clan, a sub-division of the Dir clan family.I. M. Lewis (1959)
Overview
As a Dir sub-clan, the Gurgura have immediate lineal ties with the Akisho, Gadabuursi, Issa, ...
Gadabuursi
The Gadabuursi (Somali language, Somali: ''Gadabuursi'', Arabic language, Arabic: جادابورسي), also known as ''Samaroon'' (Arabic language, Arabic: ''قبيلة سَمَرُون)'', is a northern Somali clan, a sub-division of the Dir ...
subclans of the Dir represent the most native and indigenous Somali tribes in
Harar
Harar (; Harari language, Harari: ሀረር / ; ; ; ), known historically by the indigenous as Harar-Gey or simply Gey (Harari: ጌይ, ݘٛىيْ, ''Gēy'', ), is a List of cities with defensive walls, walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is al ...
.
History
The Akisho is one of the oldest Somali clans being mentioned as far back as the 16th century in the book ''The Conquest of Abyssinia'' also known as ''Futuh al-Habash''. Akisho members are strict adherents of Sunni Islam. Akisho groups and their related clans are reputed to have migrated from Somali Ethiopian region all the way up North as far as the country Chad, the Sudan, and Northern Eritrea are said to be inhabited by Akisho and many Dir tribes.
The city of
Dire Dawa
Dire Dawa (; , meaning"where the Dir (clan), Dir hit his spear into the ground" or "The true Dir", , Harari language, Harari: ድሬዳዋ, lit. "Plain of Medicine"; ) is a city in eastern Ethiopia near the Somali Region and Oromia, Oromo borde ...
was originally called Dir Dhabe and used to be part of
Adal Sultanate
The Adal Sultanate, also known as the Adal Empire or Barr Saʿad dīn (alt. spelling ''Adel Sultanate'', ''Adal Sultanate'') (), was a medieval Sunni Muslim empire which was located in the Horn of Africa. It was founded by Sabr ad-Din III on th ...
during the medieval times and was exclusively settled by Dir clan which is a major Somali tribe. The Akisho name is originally derived from "Cayisho" which means, in old Somali, the (Cayilsan) "Fat One." The Gurre and Gurgurre both are very closely related to the Akisho, use a nickname and were referred to the Oromo and Somalis as the traders or Gurgure from the old Somali and Oromo word "gorgortan" which means ''one who sells and trades''.
According to the folklore historians of the Southern Suure Dir of the Mudug region, the Akisho, Gurre and the Gurgure Madahweyne Dir produced some of the most famous Somali folk heroes like the Somali queen Araweelo who was Warre Miyo. Also the Akisho and Gurgure clans were instrumental in spreading the Muslim faith in the hinterlands of Ethiopia. The Sheikh Abba Hussein in Southern Ethiopia is said to be of Dir, as well as Awbarkadleh and Awbuube who are two major saints of the Somalis.
Currently Muhiyadiin Odowa is the Sultan of the Akisho. Famous people of the Akisho clan are Ahmed Gurey
Arawelo
Queen ʿArrawelo or ʿArraweelo ' (), also known as Ebla Awad, was a proto-Somali Queen in traditional folklore.
Biography
Arawelo is said to have been based in lands inhabited by the Habr Je'lo clan, specifically a place called Murihi in the Sana ...
and Oday Biiqay.
The information in contained in this Response was provided by Matt Bryden, a consultant and Somali specialist now working with the United Nations Institute for Research on Social Development (UNRISD) in Nairobi (16 June 1998). He stated that the Akisho "are related to the Dir clan family, and live mainly between Jigjiga n Ethiopia Hargeysa and many regions in Ethiopia. In Somalia, they have been awarded a seat in the constituent assembly. They face no threat of persecution in any of the areas in which they live." The Research Directorate was unable to corroborate the Akisho's participation in the constituent assembly nor whether they face "persecution."
According to the Ethiopian Review the Akisho may be more numerous in Ethiopia than they are in Somalia (30 April 1996). For additional information on the Dir clan and the Akisho sub clan, please consult Patrick Gilkes' The Price of Peace: Somalia and the United Nations 1991–1994 pages 144–148, and the appendix of Somali clan families.
Clan tree
The Akisho clan consists of 12 major sub-clans:
*Akisho
***Miyo
****Reer Warfaa
****Reer Dalal
****Reer Robleh
****Reer Gadiid
****Reer Hawadee
****Reer Buuke
****Reer Agal
** Reer-Bito
** Reer-Dayo
**Reer-Luujo
****Reer Geedi
****Ali Idoora
****Ali Libaan
****Ali Ibrahim
***-Reer-Ito
****** Ree Rooble
****** Ree cadaawe
****** Ree Tukale
****** Ree kibriidle
***Kiyo
*** Reer Adeele
*** Reer Cadow
*** Reer Geele
*** Reer Allaale
*** Reer Xildiid
***Reer-Heebaan (Curad Akisho)
***-Reer-Kurto
**Obo
*** Liban
**** Jire
***** Reer Biiqe
***** Rear Abayu
**** Warimani
*** Suubo
**Igo
*** Reer Ismaacil
*** Reer Wadhowr
**Asaabo
**Gurre
****Eejo
There is no clear agreement on the clan and sub-clan structures and many lineages are omitted. The following listing is taken from the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...
's ''Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics'' from 2005 and the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
's
Home Office
The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...
publication, ''Somalia Assessment 2001''.Country Information and Policy Unit, Home Office, Great Britain, Somalia Assessment 2001, Annex B: Somali Clan Structure , p. 43
*Dir
* Akisho
** Issa
**
Gadabuursi
The Gadabuursi (Somali language, Somali: ''Gadabuursi'', Arabic language, Arabic: جادابورسي), also known as ''Samaroon'' (Arabic language, Arabic: ''قبيلة سَمَرُون)'', is a northern Somali clan, a sub-division of the Dir ...
**
Biimaal
The Bimaal or Bimal, (; Arabic:بيمال) are a sub-clan of the major Dir clan family. This clan is widely known for leading a resistance against the colonials in northern Somalia for decades which can be compared to the war of the Sayyid in So ...
Isaaq
The Isaaq (, , ''Banu Ishaq'') is a major Somali clans, Somali clan. It is one of the largest Somali clan families in the Horn of Africa, with a large and densely populated traditional territory.
The Isaaq people claim in a traditional legend ...
Garre
The Garre (also Gurreh, Karre, or Binukaaf, Somali: ''Reer Garre'', Arabic: بنو كاف, romanized: ''Banī kāf'') are a prominent Somali clan that traces its lineage back to Samaale, who is believed to have originated from the Arabian P ...
"Gorajno"
**
Gurgura
The Gurgure, Gorgorah or Gurgura (, ''Gorgorah'' ) is a northern Somali clan, a sub-division of the Dir clan family.I. M. Lewis (1959)
Overview
As a Dir sub-clan, the Gurgura have immediate lineal ties with the Akisho, Gadabuursi, Issa, ...
"Gurgure"
** Garrire "Gerire"
** Bajimal "Bajumal"
** Barsuug "Bursuk"
** Gurre "Goorre"
In the south central part of Somalia the World Bank shows the following clan tree:Worldbank, Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics '', January 2005, Appendix 2, Lineage Charts, p. 56 Figure A-2
*Dir ( Madaxwayne Dir)
1 .Akisho
2. Layiile
3. Gurre
4. Gurgure
5. Gariire
6. Jaarso
7. Jiido
8. Wardey
* Futūḥ al-Ḥabasha. (n.d.). Christian-Muslim Relations 1500–1900. doi:10.1163/2451-9537_cmrii_com_26077
* Country Information and Policy Unit, Somalia Assessment 2001 ', Home Office, Great Britain
Bryden, Matt. UNRISD, Nairobi. 16 June 1998. Letter received by electronic mail.
Gilkes, Patrick. September 1994. The Price of Peace: Somalia and the United Nations 1991–1994. Bedfordshire, UK: Save the Children Fund, UK.
Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential ondon January – May 1998. Vol. 39. Nos. 1–11.
_____. January – December 1997. Vol. 38. Nos. 1–25.
Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series xford January – May 1998. Vol. 35. Nos. 1–4.
_____. January – December 1997. Vol. 34. Nos. 1–11.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997. 1998.
Horn of Africa Bulletin ppsala Vol. 10. Nos. 1–2.
_____. January – December 1997. Vol. 9. Nos. 1–10.
The Indian Ocean Newsletter
aris Aris or ARIS may refer to:
People
* Aris (surname)
Given name
* Aris Alexandrou, Greek writer
* Aris Brimanis, ice hockey player
* Aris Christofellis, Greek male soprano
* Aris Gavelas, Greek sprinter
* Aris Konstantinidis, Greek architect
* ...