Hudur (, ) is a town in the south western

Bakool Bakool (, , ) is a region ('' gobol'') in southwestern Somalia. Overview It is bordered by the Somali regions of Hiiraan, Bay and Gedo. Bakool, like Gedo, Bay and most parts of the Jubbada Dhexe (Middle Juba) region, used to be a part of th ...

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 ...

, inhabited by

Mirifle The Rahanweyn (, Somali: , ), also known as the Digil and Mirifle () is a major Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large territory in the densely populated fertile valleys of the Jubba and Shebelle r ...

majority people Hadamo,Luwaay, Leysaan and Jiroon of the

Rahanweyn The Rahanweyn (, Northern Somali, Somali: , ), also known as the Digil and Mirifle () is a major Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large territory in the densely populated fertile valleys of the Jubba ...

tribes. It serves as the province's capital and the center of the

Hudur District Hudur District () is a district in the southwestern Bakool 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 ...

. The town is heart of the

Maay language Mai-Mai, commonly spelled Maay Maay (also known as ''Af-Maay'', ''Af-Maymay'', or simply ''Maay''; the ''Mai-Mai'' is an ancient Cushitic language mainly spoken in Somalia and adjacent parts of Ethiopia and Kenya. In Somalia, it is spoken in So ...

and Rahanweyn culture. Huddur is also known for being the hometown of influential politicians and leaders of Somalia like Gudoomiye Sheekh adan Madoobe, Xildhibaan Mohamed Abukar Abdi and Abullahi Black and so many others.

History

During the Middle Ages, Hudur and its surrounding area was part of the Ajuran Empire that governed much of southern

and eastern

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 ...

, with its domain extending from Hobyo in the north, to Qelafo in the west, to

Kismayo Kismayo (, , ; ) is a port city in the southern Lower Juba (Jubbada Hoose) province of Somalia. It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region. The city is situated southwest of the capital Mogadishu, near the mouth of the Jub ...

in the south.Lee V. Cassanelli, ''The shaping of Somali society: reconstructing the history of a pastoral people, 1600-1900'', (University of Pennsylvania Press: 1982), p.102. In the early modern period, Hudur was ruled by the

Geledi Sultanate The Sultanate of the Geledi (, ) also known as the Gobroon dynasty,Somali Sultanate: The Geledi City-state Over 150 Years - Virginia Luling (2002) Page 229 was a Somali people, Somali kingdom that ruled parts of the Horn of Africa during the late ...

. The kingdom was eventually incorporated into

Italian Somaliland Italian Somaliland (; ; ) was a protectorate and later colony of the Kingdom of Italy in present-day Somalia, which was ruled in the 19th century by the Sultanate of Hobyo and the Majeerteen Sultanate in the north, and by the Hiraab Imamate and ...

protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over ...

in 1910 after the death of the last Sultan

Osman Ahmed Osman Ahmed (; died early 1920s) was a Somali ruler. He was the fifth and final Sultan of the Geledi Sultanate. Osman Ahmed is considered less illustrious than his predecessors and Gobroon power weakened considerably under his rule. He was the so ...

. After independence in 1960, the city was made the center of the official

During the Islamist insurgency of the 2000s, the city was seized by Al-Shabaab. In March 2014, Ethiopian AMISOM and Somali troops re-captured the town from the militants. The offensive was part of an intensified military operation by the allied forces against Al-Shabaab. According to former Prime Minister

Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed (, ; born 1959), also known as Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohammad, is a Somali economist and politician. He has held leadership positions with various international organizations, including the World Bank, USAID, African Union ...

, the government subsequently launched stabilization efforts in the newly liberated areas, which also included

Wajid Wajid may refer to: *Al-Wājid (Arabic: الواجد), one of the names of God in Islam, meaning "''Perceiver''" or "''Unfailing''" *Wajid (name) Wajid is a family name and male given name. Wajida is a feminine form of Wajid. It is of Arabic or ...

Rabdhure Rab Dhuure, also known as Rabdhure, is a town in the southwestern Bakool region of Somalia and capital of the Rabdhure District. Rabdhuure is one of the five districts in Bakool region of South West State. History In March 2014, Somali Armed F ...

and

Burdhubo Burdhubo () is a town in the southern Gedo region of Somalia jubaland state . It is the center of the Burdhubo District. Overview Burdhubo sits on the Jubba River in the Jubba Valley, between the cities of Bardera and Luuq. Garbahaarreey, the ...

. The Ministry of Defence was providing ongoing reassurance and security to the local residents, and supplying logistical and security support to deliver relief assistance. Additionally, the Ministry of Interior was prepared to support and put into place programs to assist local administration and security. A Deputy Minister and several religious scholars were also dispatched to all four towns to coordinate and supervise the federal government's stabilization initiatives.

Demographics

As of 2000, Hudur had a population of around 12,500 inhabitants. The broader Hudur District has a total population of 93,049 residents. Ligse sub-clan Muuse Celi of sub-clan Celi Arap the sub-clan

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 ...

Hadamo and Luwaay are both sub-clans of the

branch, which is part of the larger

family. The main language spoken in the town is the

Cushitic The Cushitic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are spoken primarily in the Horn of Africa, with minorities speaking Cushitic languages to the north in Egypt and Sudan, and to the south in Kenya and Tanzania. As of 2 ...

. Hudur is 90km away from each of the four districts and the capital Hudur is in the center.

Notes

References

Hudur - populated place (Somalia)
{{Authority control Populated places in Bakool