The Bursuuk (Somali: Barsuug) or also written as Barsuk, Barsuq and Barsoub is a

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...

belonging to Madahweyne sub-clan of the Dir clan family and are not related to the Musa Ali section of the

Arap The Arap or Arab (, , Full Name: ''Muḥammad ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad bin al-Ḥusayn al-Hāshimīy'') clan is a major Northern Somali clan of the wider Isaaq clan family. The Arap predominantly live on the middle and southwest side ...

who adopted their name. They largely live in

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 ...

, 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 ...

, especially around the ancient city of

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 ...

and between the city and

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 ...

History

The Bursuuk were one of the Somali clans that fought on the left flank of Imam

Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi (, Harari: አሕመድ ኢብራሂም አል-ጋዚ, ; 21 July 1506 – 10 February 1543) was the Imam of the Adal Sultanate from 1527 to 1543. Commonly named Ahmed ''Gragn'' in Amharic and ''Gurey'' in Somali, ...

's army during the Ethiopian-Adal War. According to

Antoine d'Abbadie Antoine Thomson d'Abbadie d'Arrast (3 January 1810 – 19 March 1897) was a French-Basques, Basque explorer, geographer, ethnologist, linguist and astronomer of Irish birth, renowned for his expeditions in EthiopiaAlthough referred to as Ethiop ...

, he notes that the Barentu Oromo had occupied

Dakkar Dakkar ( Harari: ደክከር ''Däkkär'' , Somali: ''Doggor''), also known as Dakar, or Deker, was a historical Muslim town located in present-day eastern Ethiopia. It served as the first capital of the Adal Sultanate after its founding in the ...

from the Bursuuk which they have integrated in their mythology. The Bursuuk are considered one of the native Dir tribes of Harar. During the

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

ian occupation of

, the Bursuuk resisted the Egyptian colonizers and fought many battles against them. During the Egyptian retreat from Harar, they burned many Barsuuk villages. In retaliation, the Bursuuk attacked the retreating Egyptian troops, and looted caravans of the

Habr Awal The Habr Awal, alternately known as the Zubeyr Awal (, , Full Name: '' Abd al-Raḥmān ibn ash-Ishaaq bin Ahmed, Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad)'' is one of the largest subclans of the wider Isaaq clan family, and is further divided into eight su ...

clan.

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...

described the Bursuuk as one of "''the Somalis of the mountains''" who derive themselves from the Dir. During 1854 that they were at war with three different clans or tribes: the Girhi, the Berteri and the Gallas (who are known today as

Oromos The Oromo people (, pron. ) are a Cushitic ethnic group native to the Oromia region of Ethiopia and parts of Northern Kenya. They speak the Oromo language (also called ''Afaan Oromoo''), which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic ...

References

{{Somali clans Somali clans in Ethiopia