Ceel Buur () is a town located in the region of

Galguduud Galguduud (, , or ''Ghelgudud'') is an administrative region ('' gobol'') of Galmudug state in central Somalia. Its administrative capital is Dusmareb. The largest town in the region is El Buur, which lies at the centre of the region. Galgudu ...

in central

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 ...

History

Ceel Buur has been inhabited since at least the 13th century. During the

Ajuran Sultanate The Ajuran Sultanate (, ), natively referred to as Ajuuraan, and often simply Ajuran/Ajur, was a Muslims, Muslim empire in the Horn of Africa that thrived from the Late Middle Ages, late medieval and Early modern period, early modern period. F ...

it served as a local commercial hub. The area is particularly noted as a center for

quarrying A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to manage their s ...

. Here, meerschaum (

sepiolite Sepiolite, also known in English by the German name meerschaum ( , ; ; meaning " sea foam"), is a soft white clay mineral, often used to make tobacco pipes (known as meerschaum pipes). A complex magnesium silicate, a typical chemical formula ...

), was used to make the

Somali people The Somali people (, Wadaad: , Arabic: ) are a Cushitic ethnic group and nation native to the Somali Peninsula. who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The East Cushitic Somali language is the shared mother tongue of ethnic Som ...

's trademark Dabqaad incense burner, is mined.Abdullahi, pp.98-99 El Buur is also the site of the local pipe-making industry. During the early

colonial era Colonial period (a period in a country's history where it was subject to management by a colonial power) may refer to: Continents *European colonization of the Americas * Colonisation of Africa * Western imperialism in Asia Countries * Col ...

, Ceel Buur would form one of seven residencies of the Upper Shabelle region which included Balad, Villagio Duca Degli Abruzzi, Buloburti, Bugda, Bud-Bud and a Commissioner at Mahaddai. These had formed part of one of the four administrative regional divisions with seven residents each under southern Somalia called the Benadir colony. It became the site of battles between rebels loyal to Sheikh Mohamed Farah Rage From hilibi Mohamed sub clan mursade and Sheikh Hassan Barsane and Italian troops. In 1926 when the ceel Buur Zone was named the first district of the newly formed Mudug Region, Captain Franco Carolei, the appointed Italian governor, would be assassinated by a young Abdulle Irrobe, From ayaanle cayr, Gelle Galaal of also ayaanle cayr sub clan habargidir and several rebel groups in a daring anti-colonial uprising. It is traditionally inhabited by the

Murusade The Murusade (Somali language, Somali: Murursade, Mursal; Arabic: مرسذه ,مرسل), commonly referred to in contemporary usage as Mursal, are a Somali sub-clan belonging to the Karanle branch, which is part of the larger Hawiye, Hawiye c ...

and the

Duduble The Duduble, also known as the Maxamuud Hiraab (Arabic: محمود هراب), is a Somali sub clan of the larger Hawiye. The Duduble like most Somali clans can trace their lineage back to Samaale the oldest common father of major Somali clans. ...

subclans of 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 ...

. In 1975, construction on CEEl Buur

Airfield An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes in ...

' would begin with the aid of technicians from the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

Civil War

In 1990 a

hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...

was constructed in El Buur, but never became fully operational due to the civil war that began soon after. On 23 July 1990, El Buur would be captured by the ''

United Somali Congress The United Somali Congress (USC, ) was one of the major rebel organizations in Somalia. Formed in 1989, it played a leading role in the ouster of the government of Siad Barre in 1991. Following infighting, the USC later splintered into two win ...

'' (USC) and the town would become a base for the rebels. In November 1990, two

Somali Air Force The Somali Air Force (SAF; , Osmanya: 𐒋𐒕𐒆𐒖𐒑𐒖𐒆𐒖 𐒋𐒘𐒇𐒏𐒖 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒜𐒆, CCS; , ''Al-Qūwāt al-Gawwīyä as-Ṣūmālīyä'') is the air force of Somalia. Called the Somali Aeronautical ...

pilots would fly a Marchetti SF.260 and defect to the USC at the rebel base in El Buur. By December 1990 the town operated as the headquarters for Mohamed Qanyare Afrah and the USC during its offensive to topple the government of

Siad Barre Mohammed Siad Barre (, Osmanya script: , ''Muhammad Ziād Barīy''; 6 October 1919 – 2 January 1995) was a Somali military officer, politician, and revolutionary who served as the third president of Somalia from 21 October 1969 to 26 Janu ...

. Following the large scale Ethiopian intervention in late 2006 and the collapse of the ''

Islamic Courts Union The Islamic Courts Union () was a legal and political organization founded by Mogadishu-based Sharia courts during the early 2000s to combat the lawlessness stemming from the Somali Civil War. By mid-to-late 2006, the Islamic Courts had expanded ...

'' (ICU), residents from the three clans residing in the El Buur formed a governing committee with representatives from each clan in order to address lawlessness. As the conflict dragged on the town would become a major stronghold for the militant group Al-Shabaab. On the afternoon 26 March 2012, the Ethiopian military in cooperation with ''

Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a (ASWJ) () is a Somalia-based paramilitary group consisting of moderate Sufis opposed to radical Salafism. The group opposes extremist interpretations of Islam, as well as laws banning music and khat. The group seeks to pr ...

'' (ASWJ), captured the town from Al-Shabaab after a day of heavy fighting. Following the capture of El Buur, Shabaab fighters in the town simply began living among the civilian population and melted back into clan militias making identification of the insurgents nearly impossible. Within several months all foreign troops would withdraw and the town would revert to insurgent control. In February 2014, the town would once again be captured 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), ...

and ASWJ. On 31 October 2017 six children, including an eight month old, were killed when an

peacekeeping contingent opened fire on the outskirts of El Buur. Three children were also reportedly maimed. In April 2018, a US military drone strike beside the town would result in the deaths of a civilian woman and her child. On August 25, 2023, the

Somali National Army The Somali National Army () are the ground forces component of the Somali Armed Forces. Since Somali independence in 1960, the Army fought to expand and increase Somalia's sphere of influence throughout the Horn of Africa counter to Ethiopia' ...

, alongside local militias led by Colonel Ismael Abdi Malik successfully ousted the terrorist group Al-Shabaab from CEEl Buur town. The capture of CEEL Buur in the Galmadug Federal Member State marks one of the most significant victories in the first phase of the government's offensive. This is due to towns strategic position in central Somalia and its importance to the terrorist group. The success of the offensive arises from a rare collaboration between the army and the macawisley militia. . "Victory to all Somalis. CEEl Buur district, a major al Shabaab stronghold, has fallen into the hands of Somali forces this hour. The forces are inside the town now," said Ibrahim Sheikh Muhydin, Somalia's army chief, in a speech broadcast live on Facebook.

External links

References

Populated places in Galguduud Galmudug Mining communities in Africa Mining in Somalia {{Somalia-geo-stub