Jowhar (, ,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

: ''Giohar'') is the capital city of Hirshabelle state 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 ...

. Jowhar is also the administrative capital of Middle Shabelle

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

. Along with

Baidoa Baidoa (, Somali (Af-Maxaa): , ) is the largest city of the South West State of Somalia. Between 2002 and 2014, Baidoa was the capital of the South West State. In 2014, the capital was changed to Barawa. Overview Baydhabo is the main hub of ...

, it used to form the joint administrative capital of the

Transitional Federal Government The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) (, , ) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Somalia from 14 October 2004 until 20 August 2012. It was established in Nairobi, Kenya, following the Transitional National Govern ...

, which it captured from the Islamic Courts Union. The city lies 90 km (50 mi) along a major road north of the national capital of

Mogadishu Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...

Etymology

Jowhar, (also ''Jawharad'' or ''Johoorad'') is the word for a precious stone in Somali, and the city may have been named after the lush lands it's situated on, near the Shabelle river. Originally from Persian, this word is also used in Arabic and other languages to describe gemstones and other jewels.

History

During the Middle Ages, Jowhar and much of the surrounding area in southern Somalia was governed by the Ajuran Empire.Lee V. Cassanelli, ''The Shaping of Somali Society: Reconstructing the History of a Pastoral People, 1600-1900'', (University of Pennsylvania Press: 1982), p.102. The town later came under the administration of the

Hiraab Imamate The Hiraab Imamate (), also known as the Yacquubi Dynasty, was a Somali people, Somali kingdom that ruled parts of the Horn of Africa during the 16th century till the 19th century until it was incorporated into Italian Somaliland. The Imamate was ...

in the late 17th century after the collapse of the powerful Ajuran Empire. At the turn of the 20th century, Jowhar was 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 ...

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

Villaggio Duca degli Abruzzi

The Villaggio Duca degli Abruzzi was founded by a senior member of the

Italian Royal Family The House of Savoy (, ) is a royal house (formally a dynasty) of Franco-Italian origin that was established in 1003 in the historical region of Savoy, which was originally part of the Kingdom of Burgundy and now lies mostly within southeastern F ...

, H.R.H. Principe Luigi Amedeo, Duca degli Abruzzi in 1920, who first came to the African continent in 1905 and liked the place. The

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...

raised funds to build dams, roads, a

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

, schools, hospitals, a church and a

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

. The village called Villaggio Duca degli Abruzzi (or ''Villabruzzi'') was founded as an agricultural settlement in

Italian Somalia 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 an ...

experimenting with new cultivation techniques. In 1926, the colony comprised 16 villages, with some 3,000 Somali and 200

inhabitants. It was commonly known as ''Villabruzzi''. Starting around 1911,

s like the Duca degli Abruzzi started to take the local farmers and resettle them in specific new villages in an attempt to improve the economy of Italian Somalia. The area around Villabruzzi was the most agriculturally developed of Somalia before

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and had some food industries.

Administrative capital

As part of a 2004 agreement, Jowhar and the town of

were to form a joint administrative capital of the

, sited away from Mogadishu for security reasons. Continued fighting threatened to derail the peace process. However, in July 2005, President

Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed (, ‎; 15 December 1934 – 23 March 2012), was a Somali politician and former military official who served as the first President of Puntland from 1998 to 2004. He also played a key role in establishing the Transitional ...

relocated to the town from his base in Bosaso, moving the process forward and joining Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi, who had already been resident in the town for a month. Part of the parliament became based in Jowhar, while some ministries were established in Mogadishu.''Interim Somali government to relocate to Baidoa and Jowhar''
, Voice of Africa, 23 March 2005 By February 2006, despite Ghedi's security concerns, the two leaders had left to Baidoa, where it was decided the parliament would convene.

Demographics

The district had estimated population of 269,851 as of 2014, a survey was done by (UNDP) in 2014 and it is primarily inhabited by Abgaal clan.

Recent history

Ethiopian invasion and occupation (2006–2009)

During the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, the city was captured from the Islamic Courts Union during the Battle of Jowhar on December 27, 2006. ICU insurgents recaptured Jowhar on 12 July 2008 and took over the towns administration.

Somali Civil War (2009–present)

On May 17, 2009, the Islamist al-Shabab militia took the town, and imposed new rules, including a ban on handshaking between men and women. TFG and ICU paramilitary forces were dispatched to seize back the town. On December 9, 2012, Somali National Army 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 re-captured the city from the militants.

Notes

Bibliography

* VILLES EN GUERRE EN SOMALIE :MOGADISCIO ET HARGEISA Marc-Antoine PÉROUSE DE MONTCLOS (https://web.archive.org/web/20061126204259/http://ceped.cirad.fr/cdrom/integral_publication_1988_2002/dossier/pdf/dossiers_cpd_59.pdf)

External links

Article with photos on a 2005 visit to 'Villaggio Duca degli abruzzi' and areas of former Italian Somalia (in italian)
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020020255/http://xoomer.alice.it/fernandotermentini/somalia.htm , date=2018-10-20 Populated places in Middle Shabelle