Bulo Marer (, Bulla Marer, Bula Mareer, Bulo Barer, Bulomarer) is a town in the southwestern
Lower Shebelle
Lower Shabelle (, , , ) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia.
Geography
Lower Shabelle is bordered by the regions of Banaadir, Middle Shabelle (Shabeellaha Dhexe), Hiran, Bay, Middle Jubba (Jubbada Dhexe) and by the ...
region of
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 ...
. It was a base of
Al-Shabaab, and was the site of an ill-fated
2013 military operation during which French commandos attempted to free a French hostage that was being held by the insurgent group.
[French soldier killed in raid to free hostage in Somalia]
''Associated Press'', January 12, 2013.
The town was taken by Somali government forces assisted by
AMISOM
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a Multinational force formed by the African Union. The operation deployed to Somalia soon after the Islamic Courts Union was deposed by troops from Ethiopia during War in Somalia (2006–2009), ...
troops after a battle on August 30, 2014.
It was the site of the
2024 African Union base attack in Bulo Marer.
Hon Abshir Mumin and Feysal Cholera are two notable figures from Bulomareer, noting that Feysal currently leads all Bulomareerians in Mogadishu, the capital city.
Recent history
In November 2008, Bulo Marer was reported to have a protected water well.
Capture by Al-Shabaab
In November 2008, the Islamic militant group
Al-Shabaab occupied Bulo Marer.
A photo showing al-Shabaab soldiers in Bulo Marer was published in 2008.
In January 2013, the French-United States military
attempted unsuccessfully to rescue hostages from Al-Shabaab in Bulo Marer.
[ ]
In April 2014, the
Tunni
The Tunni ( Somali: Tunni) are a Somali clan that make up part of the wider Digil-Rahanweyn branch. It is one of the major clans that inhabit the South West State of Somalia and can also be found in Jubbaland.
Overview
The Tunni clan are spli ...
clan of Bulo Marer reportedly provided food to Al-Shabaab.
In May 2014, 3 alleged spies for the Somali and Ethiopian governments were publicly executed in a park in Bulo Marer.
In August 2014, Al-Shabaab's media arm, Al-Kataib, broadcast a documentary about the failed January 2013 attack on Bulo Marer by the French-United States military.
[
In August 2014, Somali armed forces and ]African Union
The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...
(AU) forces occupied Bulo Marer.[ Until then, Al-Shabaab had made Bulo Marer one of its key strongholds, robbing travelers and collecting taxes from residents.
In April 2016, four civilians were killed when their vehicle was destroyed in Bulo Marer after they failed to follow military stop orders.
In March 2019, Al-Shabaab carried out an attack on the ]African Union Mission in Somalia
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a Multinational force formed by the African Union. The operation deployed to Somalia soon after the Islamic Courts Union was deposed by troops from Ethiopia during a large scale invasion in l ...
(AMISOM) base.
In May 2023, Al-Shabaab attacked a base manned by Ugandan troops of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia
The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) is a former African Union transition and drawdown mission from peacekeeping operations in Somalia. Formerly the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), which began in 2007 and operated ...
(ATMIS) in Bulo Marer. The Somalia government said 30 people were killed in the attack. Al-Shabaab said it killed 137 soldiers. Uganda's president announced that 54 people were killed.
In July 2024, public outrage ensued in Bulo Marer after 3 farmers were shot, and 2 were killed and beheaded by Ugandan ATMIS soldiers. Al-Shabaab broadcast in a radio message that they vowed to retaliate for the farmers' deaths. There was no immediate response from ATMIS or the Somali government.
Notes
{{reflist
References
Buulo Mareer
Populated places in Lower Shebelle