The Mohamed Abokor (, full name: ''Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr ibn Jibrīl ibn Abī Bakr ibn Mūsa ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad'') is a Somali clan, and a major sub-division of the

Habr Je'lo The Habr Je'lo (), , Full Name: ''Mūsa ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad,'' historically known as the Habr Toljaala () is a major Northern Somali clan of the wider Isaaq family. Its members form the Habr Habusheed () confederation along with t ...

of the

Isaaq The Isaaq (, , ''Banu Ishaq'') is a major Somali clans, Somali clan. It is one of the largest Somali clan families in the Horn of Africa, with a large and densely populated traditional territory. The Isaaq people claim in a traditional legend ...

.'' The Mohamed Abokor are one of the largest sub-divisions of the

. They inhabit the

Togdheer Togdheer (, ) is an administrative region (''Administrative divisions of Somaliland, gobol'') in central Somaliland. Togdheer is bordered by Maroodi Jeex to the west, Sahil, Somaliland, Saaxil to the north, Sanaag to the northeast, Sool, Somalia ...

Sool Sool (, ) is a disputed administrative region (gobol). It borders Togdheer to the west, Sanaag to the north, Ethiopia to the south and Nugal, Bari to the east. Its capital city is Las Anod. The region is disputed by the self-declared Republic o ...

and Sahil regions of

Somaliland Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is an List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country in the Horn of Africa. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, E ...

, in addition to 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 ...

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 ...

and

Isiolo Isiolo is a town in Isiolo County, of which it is the capital. It is located in the upper eastern region of Kenya and is geographically considered the center of the country Kenya. It lies 285 kilometers north of the capital Nairobi. The town gr ...

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

, where they form part of the Isahakia community. Notable subclans include Aden Madoba, Yeesif, Rer Dahir, Solomadow and

Ahmed Farah The Mohamed Abokor (, full name: ''Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr ibn Jibrīl ibn Abī Bakr ibn Mūsa ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad'') is a Somali clan, and a major sub-division of the Habr Je'lo of the Isaaq.'' The Mohamed Abokor are one of the ...

DNA

T-M184 is unusual in that it is both geographically widespread and relatively rare. T1 (T-L206) – the numerically dominant primary branch of T-M184 – appears to have originated in

Western Asia West Asia (also called Western Asia or Southwest Asia) is the westernmost region of Asia. As defined by most academics, UN bodies and other institutions, the subregion consists of Anatolia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Armenian ...

, and spread from there into

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

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 ...

and adjoining regions. T1* may have expanded with the

Pre-Pottery Neolithic B Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) is part of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic, a Neolithic culture centered in upper Mesopotamia and the Levant, dating to years ago, that is, 8800–6500 BC. It was Type site, typed by British archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon ...

culture (PPNB) which originated in

West Asia West Asia (also called Western Asia or Southwest Asia) is the westernmost region of Asia. As defined by most academics, UN bodies and other institutions, the subregion consists of Anatolia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Armenian ...

Overview

Members of the subclan are descendants of Mohamed Abokor, the great-great-great-grandson of Sheikh Ishaaq bin Ahmed. The full name of the subclan is ''Muḥammad ibn Abū Bakr ibn Jibrīl ibn Abū Bakr ibn Mūsa ibn ash-Shaykh Ishaaq ibn Aḥmad''. They are well known for greatly participating in the Dervish movement led by Sayyid

Mohammed Abdullah Hassan Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, ...

as well as the 1945 Sheikh Bashir Rebellion led by the religious leader

Sheikh Bashir Sheikh Bashir Sheikh Yusuf Sheikh Hassan (, , born c. 1905) was a Somali religious leader famed for leading the 1945 Sheikh Bashir Rebellion against the British colonial authority in Somaliland. Biography Sheikh Bashir was born in 1905 in Tal ...

of the Yeesif subclan. Historically, the Mohamed Abokor were chiefly nomadic pastoralists, whereas the

Musa Abokor The Musa Abokor (, full name:'' Mūsa ibn Abū Bakr ibn Jibrīl ibn Abū Bakr ibn Mūsa ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad'') is a Somali clan, and a 2 major sub-division of the muuse sh isxaaq clan of the Isaaq clan-family. The Musa Abokor ar ...

and Omar obtained much of their wealth via their frankincense plantations in the mountainous interior adjacent to the coastline.

History

Lineage

Sheikh Ishaaq ibn Ahmed was one of the Arabian scholars that crossed the sea from Arabia to the Horn of Africa to spread Islam around 12th to 13th century. Hence, Shiekh Ishaaq married two local women in Somaliland that left him eight sons, one of them being Musa (Habr Je'lo). The descendants of those eight sons constitute the Isaaq clan-family.

19th century

The Habr Je’lo coastal settlements and ports, stretching from

Siyara Siyara () was a historic coastal settlement and fort located in the Sahil region of Somaliland. It served as the first capital of the Adal Sultanate following the Muslim resurgence spearheaded by Sabr ad-Din II.Pankhurst, Richard. ''The Ethiopia ...

in the west to Heis (Xiis) in the east, were important to trade and communication with the Somali interior. While the settlements were not as significant as the more established ports of

Berbera Berbera (; , ) is the capital of the Sahil, Somaliland, Sahil region of Somaliland and is the main sea port of the country, located approximately 160 km from the national capital, Hargeisa. Berbera is a coastal city and was the former capital of t ...

Zeila Zeila (, ), also known as Zaila or Zayla, is a historical port town in the western Awdal region of Somaliland. In the Middle Ages, the Jewish traveller Benjamin of Tudela identified Zeila with the Biblical location of Havilah. Most modern schola ...

and

Bulhar Bulhar (Bulahar, ) is a historic port town in the Sahil region of Somaliland with routes dating back to antiquity. The port was rejuvenated in the 19th century and was a rival to nearby Berbera. History Antiquity Bulhar is situated near Berber ...

(respectively), the principle Mohamed Abokor port of Kurrum (

Karin Karin may refer to: *Karin (given name), a feminine name Fiction * ''Karin'' (manga) or ''Chibi Vampire'', a Japanese media franchise * Karin Hanazono, title character of the manga and anime ''Kamichama Karin'' *Karin Kokubu, a main character in ...

) was a major market for livestock and frankincense procured from the interior, and was a favorite for livestock traders due to the close proximity of the port to

Aden Aden () is a port city located in Yemen in the southern part of the Arabian peninsula, on the north coast of the Gulf of Aden, positioned near the eastern approach to the Red Sea. It is situated approximately 170 km (110 mi) east of ...

. Habr Je’lo traders acted as middlemen to

Dhulbahante The Dhulbahante, (, ) are a Somali sub-clan, part of the Harti branch of the larger Darod clan. They primary reside in and around their traditional territories of Nugaal, as well as Doollo. The clan's progenitor is buried at Badweyn. The cur ...

livestock herders in the interior by purchasing and/or bartering their stock for export to the Aden market:

Anti-Colonial Movements

Dervish movement

The Mohammed Abokor subclan of the Habr Je’lo were one of the first clans in the Somaliland Protectrate to revolt against the Colonial government between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among their prominent anti-colonial ideologues during the Dervish period were Yuusuf haji hassan

Deria Arale Deria Arale () was a senior ''Khusuusi'' member of the Somali Dervish movement led by Mohamed Abdullah Hassan. Overview He along with Abdallah Shihiri led the 1904 Dervish delegation that facilitated the Ilig or Pestollaza agreement between t ...

, Deria Gure,

Abdallah Shihiri Abdallah Mohamed Shihiri (, ; 1868–1931) was a senior Khusuusi member of the Somali Dervish movement and was part of the movement since its inception. He was long time companion and a childhood friend of Mohamed Abdullah Hassan and notable ...

Ibrahim Boghol Ibrahim Hassan Boghol (; 1877 – February 1920) was a Somali military leader. He was a member of the Dervish council, called the ''Khusuusi'', and was also the commander of the northern Dervish army. He was among the most wanted Dervish leaders ...

and

Haji Sudi Suudi Shabeele Omar, more commonly known as Haji Sudi (; 1858–1920) was one of the leaders behind the Somali Dervish movement. He was also the movement's right-hand man and chief lieutenant till its demise in 1920. He is described as the Mull ...

, the latter is credited for importing Dervish customs into the Somali peninsula as well as being one of the original founders of the Somali Dervish Movement. Moreover, the Habr Je'lo played an influential role after the demise of the Dervish Movement in 1920, with Sheikh Bashir Yussuf and Farah Omar being important anti-colonial notables. Dervish Abdallah Sheri

The Dervish movement first arose in Burao in 1899, where in the summer of that year Dervish leaders and their clan followers congregated at the settlement. Haji Suudi leading his clansmen declared war on the British lest they stop interfering with their religious and internal affairs. The dervish then proceeded to send this letter to Captain Cordeauxe and James Hayes Sadler:

This is to inform you that you have done whatever you have desired, and oppressed our well-known religion without any cause. Further, to inform you that whatever people bring to you they are liars and slanderers. Further, to inform you that Mahomed, your Akil, came to ask from us the arms we therefore, send you this letter. Now choose for yourself; if you want war we accept it, if you want peace pay the fine." September 1, 1899.

According to the British War Office, the Ahmed Farah, Rer Yusuf and Adan Madoba Habr Je'lo sub-clans were among the first to join the Dervish rebellion. Haji Sudi, along with Mohammed Abdullah Hassan and Sultan Nur led the first Dervish forces against the British at Samala, Ferdidin, Erigo and Gumburu. Moreover, The coastal Habr Je'lo sub-clans provided significant armaments to the Dervish forces in the interior. Before sending troops to confront the Dervish at Samala, Consul-General Hayes Sadler gave the following instructions to the commander Eric John Eagles Swayne:

In the unlikely event of the Mullah offering to surrender, in his case and that of the Following: Haji Sudi, Deria Arale, Deria Gure Only an unconditional surrender should be accepted no guarantee of any kind to future treatment been given. Sultan Nur, the Sultan of the Habr Yunis, may be guaranteed his life." J. Hayes-Sadler, His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General, Somali Coast Protectorate. Aden April 11, 1901."

Although facing the British in multiple battles between 1901 and 1904, the colonial forces failed to in their efforts to apprehend Sudi, Arale, Gure and their fellow Dervishes. Gabriel Ferrand, the Vice-Consul of France following these events observed that:

Neither the Mahdi nor his chief adviser Ahmed Warsama, better known under the name Haji Sudi, nor the Sultan Nur, leader of the Habr Younis clan were killed or captured. The optimism of Colonel Sadler and Lieutenant-Colonel Swayne in the latest reports relating to military operations is inexplicable."

Abdalah Shihiri and Deria Arale led the 1904 Dervish delegation that facilitated the Ilig or Pestollaza agreement between the Dervish and Italy. This treaty allowed the Dervishes to peacefully settle in Italian Somaliland with some autonomy. In 1920, the British air force commenced their bombardment of Dervish fort and their ground assault on Taleh fort. Haji Sudi, the highest ranking Dervish after Mohammed Abdullah Hassan and Ibrahim Boghol, commander of the northern Dervish army died valiantly defending the Taleh.

1945 Sheikh Bashir Rebellion

The 1945 Sheikh Bashir Rebellion was a rebellion waged by tribesmen of the

clan in the cities of

Burao Burao, also spelt Bur'o or Bur'ao (; , , ), is the capital of the Togdheer region and the second largest city in Somaliland. Burao was the site of the Somaliland Declaration of Independence, declaration of an independent Somaliland on 18 May 19 ...

and

Erigavo Erigavo (, ), also spelled as Erigabo, is the capital and largest city of the Sanaag region of Somaliland. Etymology The name ''Ceerigaabo'' is made up of two parts: ''Ceeri'' which describes a place water collects, and ''gaabo'' (''gaaban'') ...

in the former

British Somaliland British Somaliland, officially the Somaliland Protectorate (), was a protectorate of the United Kingdom in modern Somaliland. It was bordered by Italian Somalia, French Somali Coast and Ethiopian Empire, Abyssinia (Italian Ethiopia from 1936 ...

protectorate against British authorities in July 1945 led by

, a Somali religious leader belonging to the Yeesif sub-division. On 2 July, Sheikh Bashir collected 25 of his followers in the town of

Wadamago Wadamago () is a historic town in Aynabo District, in the Sool region of Somaliland. Etymology The name Wadamago () stems from the phrase ''Wadaamo go, meaning ''wadaan breaker'' in Somali. A wadaan is a hand made bucket that is made up of ...

and transported them on a lorry to the vicinity of

, where he distributed arms to half of his followers. On the evening of 3 July the group entered Burao and opened fire on the police guard of the central prison in the city, which was filled with prisoners arrested for previous demonstrations. The group also attacked the house of the district commissioner of

Burao District Burao District () is a district of the Togdheer region in central Somaliland. Its capital lies at Burao. Overview The district is home to some of the largest livestock markets, known in Somali as ''seylad'', in the Horn of Africa, with as many as ...

, Major Chambers, resulting in the death of Major Chamber's police guard before escaping to Bur Dhab, a strategic mountain south-east of Burao, where Sheikh Bashir's small unit occupied a fort and took up a defensive position in anticipation of a British counterattack. The British campaign against Sheikh Bashir's troops proved abortive after several defeats as his forces kept moving from place to place and avoiding any permanent location. No sooner had the expedition left the area, than the news traveled fast among the Somali nomads across the plain. The war had exposed the British administration to humiliation. The government came to a conclusion that another expedition against him would be useless; that they must build a railway, make roads and effectively occupy the whole of the protectorate, or else abandon the interior completely. The latter course was decided upon, and during the first months of 1945, the advance posts were withdrawn and the British administration confined to the coast town of

. Sheikh Bashir settled many disputes among the tribes in the vicinity, which kept them from raiding each other. He was generally thought to settle disputes through the use of Islamic

Sharia Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on Islamic holy books, scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran, Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' ...

and gathered around him a strong following. Sheikh Bashir sent a message to religious figures in the town of

and called on them to revolt and join the rebellion he led. The religious leaders as well as the people of Erigavo heeded his call, and mobilized a substantial number of people in Erigavo armed with rifles and spears and staged a revolt. The British authorities responded rapidly and severely, sending reinforcements to the town and opening fire on the armed mobs in two "local actions" as well as arresting minor religious leaders in the town. The British administration recruited

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

n and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

n troops, led by police general James David, to fight against Sheikh Bashir and had intelligence plans to capture him alive. The British authorities mobilized a police force, and eventually on 7 July found Sheikh Bashir and his unit in defensive positions behind their fortifications in the mountains of Bur Dhab. After clashes Sheikh Bashir and his second-in-command, Alin Yusuf Ali, nicknamed Qaybdiid, were killed. A third rebel was wounded and was captured along with two other rebels. The rest fled the fortifications and dispersed. On the British side the police general leading the British troops as well as a number of Indian and South African troops perished in the clashes, and a policeman was injured. Despite the death of Sheikh Bashir and his followers resistance against British authorities continued in Somaliland, especially in Erigavo where his death stirred further resistance in the town and the town of Badhan and lead to attacks on British colonial troops throughout the district and the seizing of arms from the rural constabulary. Despite the death of Sheikh Bashir and his second-in-command, the British authorities was not finished with the rebels and continued its counter-insurgency campaign. The authorities had quickly learned the names and identities of all the followers of Sheikh Bashir and tried to convince the locals to turn them in. When they refused, the authorities invoked the ''Collective Punishment Ordinance'', under which the authorities seized and impounded a total of 6,000 camels owned by the

, the clan that Sheikh Bashir belonged to. The British authorities made the return of the livestock dependent on the turning over and arrest of the escaped rebels. The remaining rebels were subsequently found and arrested, and transported to the Saad-ud-Din archipelago, off the coast of Zeila in northwestern Somaliland.

Clan tree

Below is a breakdown of the different sub-divisions of the Mohamed Abokor subclan: * Sheikh Ishaaq Bin Ahmed (Sheikh Ishaaq) **''Muse bin Ishaaq'' ******Mohamed Abokor *******Adan Mohamed (Adan Madoba) *******Yesif Mohamed *******Nuh Mohamed ******** *********Abdille **********Abokor Abdille (Solomadow) **********Hassan Abdille (Solomadow) **********Barre Abdille (Solomadow) ***********Samatar Barre ***********Ahmed Barre ***********Kul Barre ***********Nabad Barre **********Hussein Abdille **********Allamagan Abdille **********Farah Abdille ***********Beila Farah ***********Fahiye Farah ***********Dahir Farah (Rer Dahir) ************Ahmed Dahir ************Nuh Dahir ************Guled Dahir ************Kalil Dahir ************Barre Dahir ************Ogal Dahir ************Hassan Dahir ************Wa'ays Dahir ************Yusuf Dahir ************Ibrahim Dahir ************Hildid Dahir ************Adan Dahir ************Omar Dahir *************Abokor Omar *************Muse Omar *************Bah Abdirahman *************Bah Eise **************Ismail Omar ***************Yusuf Ismail (Rer Yusuf) ***********Ahmed Farah ************Roble Ahmed ************Abtidon Ahmed (Rer Abtidon) ************Abokor Ahmed ************Binin Ahmed (Rer Binin) *************Ali Binin *************Guled Binin *************Hersi Binin ************Had Ahmed ************Hasan Ahmed ************* Rooble Hasan (Rer Rooble) *************Salah Hasan (Rer Salah) ************Hildid Ahmed *************Abdi Hildid ************Mohamed Ahmed *************Rage Mohamed (Rer Rage) *************Baded Mohamed (Rer Baded) *************Olow Mohamed *************Burale Mohamed *************Jibril Mohamed

References

{{reflist Somali clans Somali clans in Ethiopia