Gurgura

This article is about the ethnic group. For the district, see Gurgura (woreda).

Gurgura

Gurgure غُرْغُرَا
Total population
1.5 - 2 million
Regions with significant populations
Ethiopia, Somalia, United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Saudi Arabia
Languages
Somali, Oromo and Arabic
Religion
Islam (Sunni)
Related ethnic groups
Akisho, Jaarso, Issa, Gadabursi, Surre, Isaaq, Biimaal, Gurre and other Dir clans.

The Gurgura, Gorgorah or Gurgure (Somali: Gurgure, Oromo: Gurguraa, Arabic: غُرْغُرَا) is a northern Somali clan, a sub-division of the Dir clan family.

Overview

Ugaas Buux Gadiid (Somali: Ugaas Buux). The historical ughaz (sultan) of the Gurgura clan of Somalis. One of the most notable figures of Dire Dawa and 52nd Uggas of Gurgure.

As a Dir sub-clan, the Gurgura have immediate lineal ties with the Akisho, Gadabuursi, Issa, the Surre (Abdalle and Qubeys), the Biimaal (who the Gaadsen also belong to), the Bajimal, the Bursuk, the Madigan Dir, the Garre (the Quranyow sub-clan to be precise as they claim descent from Dir), Gurre, Gariire, other Dir sub-clans and they have lineal ties with the Hawiye (Irir), Hawadle, Ajuran, Degoodi, Gaalje'el clan groups, who share the same ancestor Samaale.

Distribution

The Gurgure (Mohamed) Madaxweyne Dir are a vast clan that stretch from Balawa (near Jijiga) to the Awash region; they also extend onto areas to the south where they established settlement of Sheikh Hussein Bale. They are associated with the spread of Islam.

The Gurgura are the majority clan in Dire Dawa, Afdem (woreda) and Erer district in the Sitti Zone. Gurgure are the founders of the city of Dire Dawa, Sheikh, Somaliland, Erer among other cities in Somaliland and Ethiopia. Today the Gurgure live in Dire Dawa, Somali Region of Ethiopia, Harar region, Djibouti, Somaliland, and the Afar Region. Lo'jir Gurgure live as far east as Erigavo and Heis (town) in Sanaag.

Origin

The Gurgura are a Somali clan who inhabit the Sitti Zone, Dire Dawa, Harar, Somaliland and the Oromo. The Gurgura are the eldest Dir and most ancient Somali tribe who migrated from Awdal east into Sanaag and southwest into Harar, Dire Dawa and Awash Valley as traders that connected the Arabs, Europeans, Indians and Chinese in Zeila to Harar. The Gurgura brought dyed garments, salt, sugar etc.. from Zeila to Harar and went back to Zeila with leather, species, frankincense and livestock. Along the trade routes, the Gurgura established settlements that were thriving communities during the Sultanate of Ifat and Adal Sultanate. Examples of these settlements named after Gurgura saints include Jaldessa, Abasa, Awdal, Amud, Awbare, Awbube and Dire Dawa.

The name Gurgure in Somali is derived from the old Somali word Gorgortan (meaning to bargain or negotiate as a merchant) according some sources as the Gurgura were known as traders. According other sources the name was derived from Gurgur (meaning to move from one place to another frequently) Gurgur can also mean aqal Somali or Somali huts. Gurgur can also mean to crawl like babies do. It is only more recently in the 19th century that the name Gurgura started being associated with Oromos (that means that act of selling or to sell).

Mohamed "Gurgura" Madaxweyne Dir (clan) is the eldest Dir clan and one of the earliest Somalis if not the earliest in the Horn of Africa. The is evident as there are many other Dir tribes with Bah Gurgura sub tribes such as the Gadabuursi. Majority of Gadabuursi subclans had Gurgura mothers. The Bah Gurgura and Bah Sanayo subclans of the Gadabuursi Dir clan are matrinileal descendants of both the celebrated patron saints Awbare and Awbube. Bah Gurgura Mamasan Eleye Issa (clan) as well as Habar Yoonis and Habr Je'lo. Gurgura predates most of these younger northern Somali clans. The ruined towns excavated on the Ethiopian Somalis boarder by A.T. Curle reveal the sophistication of ancient towns associated with Gurgura saints. The Gadabuursi town of Awbare is one of the largest and is named after Sheikh Awbare, a famous sheikh of Ifat and Adal Sultanates, who of the Nabioor subclan of the Gurgura. Another Gadabuursi ancient settlement known as Awbube is also named after a Gurgura saint called Sheikh Awbube who was a famous Ifat era saint also Nabidoor Gurgure. The Gadabuursi subclans of Reer Nuur and Adan Yoonis are collectively known as Bah Gurgura as their ancestor was Halimo Sheikh who was the sister of Bare Sheikh more famously known as Sheikh Awbare, the Saint the ancient town is named after.

The great trading abilities of the Gurgure historically and their association with spreading Islam has resulted in them being very widespread. The Gurgure are in continuous conflict with the encroaching Oromos land grabbing, Ethiopian Federal Government and Somali Regional Government in Jigjiga have been denying them mp seats. During the Haille Selassie regime, the Oromo were not as present in Dire Dawa. The numbers of Oromo only increased during the reign of Mengistu and Meles; this was a period when the Gurgure were severely oppressed by the Mengistu regime. The Gurgura lost over 7000 homes in the city of Dire Dawa and over 500 farms in Hurso. The Origin and History of the Somali People by Ibrahim Ali argues the warriors who fought Amda Seyon (1314 - 1344) also included the Gurgura warriors. The description of these warriors tying themselves together and then rushing into battle is identical to the battle practiced by the Gurgura - "first the [Nabidoor] Gurgura were sent in to battle, and when we draw the first blood, it means we are guaranteed victory." [ Origin & History of Somali People, by I. Ali]. The Gurgura and other Dir tribes are like the Surre Qubeys known and associated with introducing Islam to the many parts of Somalia and Ethiopia.

Mentions of Gurgura in the Conquest of Abyssinia: Futuh Al Habasha

Different version of Gurgura spelling

History

The Gurgura are mentioned in the Futuh Al Habasha : Conquest of Abyssinia as source dating back as far as the 16th century, by author: Shihabudin Ahmad bin Abd al-Qadir 'Arab Faqih or 'Arab Faqih. It is recorded that the Gurgura were among the famous Somali spearmen led by their chief Garad Abdi who fought alongside Ahmed Gurey or Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi with thirty knights and one-thousand foot-soldiers.

"After them came up the tribe of Gorgorah (Gurgura) with Garad Abdi their chieftan, and 30 horses and 1000 men."

Patrick Gilkes (2003) mentions the Gurgura as one of the clans that participated in the Futuh Al Habasha : Conquest of Abyssinia:

Emir Ahmed Gurrey, known to the Ethiopians as Ahmed Gran. The emir himself was almost certainly from one of the pre-Somali peoples around Harar, but Somalis from a number of clans, particularly the Gorgora, a clan that probably originated around Zelia, certainly fought in his armies. Ahmed himself probably had no direct links with Somalis other than recruiting them, but his mythic value was substantial. He had launched a highly successful jihad against Ethiopia in the 1530s.

The city of Dire Dawa was originally called Dir and used to be part of the Sultanate of Ifat and Adal Sultanate during the medieval times and was exclusively settled by Dir clan (Gurgure, Issa and Gadabuursi). After the weakening of Adal Sultanate, the Ethiopian Christians and later on Oromos took advantage and were able to penetrate through the city and settle the surrounding areas.

Dir a settlement which according to Huntingford, may conceivably be modern day Dire Dawa. Huntingford, Historical Geography of Ethiopia, p. 122. (p)

In his book Across Widest Africa: An Account of the Country and People of Eastern, Central and Western Africa As Seen During a Twelve Months' Journey from Djibuti to Cape Verde, Volume 2, written in 1905, Arnold Henry Savage Landor describes the Gurgura as a Somali tribe that he encountered on his way to Harar from Djibouti in and around Dire Dawa and back towards Abyssinia. The authors refers to the land between Dire Dawa and Harar as Gurgura. The author says he met

the Gurgura in great numbers with their spears, looking after sheep and camels. The Gurgura possessing a skin of a deep chocolate colour, and divided them into two distinct types: one with wholly hair, or twisted into curls; the other not so common, with smooth hair, which is always left long and reaches the shoulders. Some grew a slight beard upon the cheeks and chin. The author goes on to say that they all had eyes the iris of which was of a deep brown, but that portion of the eye-ball which is white was dark yellowish tone."

Landor writes about making a camp near hot springs on his way to Abyssinia today known as Erer hot springs in the Sitti Zone of Somali Region. There he met the Hawiya, like the Gurgura, who speak Somali, and some also understand the Galla (Oromo) language. The author describes the Hawiya, the Ghedebursi (Gadabuursi), Issa, Gurgura, Haberual (Habar Awal) and Dahrot (Darod) as speaking Somali.

Oromo political organizations sought to coerce the Oromo speaking Gurgure in the rural villages of Dire Dawa and Oromia region, to get them to identify themselves as Oromo for their political, land grabbing and made up census propaganda though they belong to and identified as Gurgura Somalis. Oromo elders claimed that "the Gurgura people who speak the Oromo language belong to the Oromo nation and they only started to identify themselves with the Somali after the 1974 change of the Haile Selassie regime" though Somali's strongly disagree.

Gurgura Political Organization

The Gurgura fought for the Somalis rebels during the Ethiopian Civil War and supported the annexation of Dire Dawa, they actively participated in the Issa and Gurgura Liberation Front and clashed with the Oromo Liberation Front on numerous occasions for control over Dire Dawa.

• Issa Gurgure Libration Front (IGLF) was active until 1991 it was led by an Issa Mr.Riyaale Ahmed
• Independent Gurgure Libration Front (GLF) was founded by Member of Parliament Abdi Aziz Gurgure who is former Ethiopian Ambassador to Ivory Coast.
• Horiyaal Democratic Party was a Gadaburis led political Party in Ethiopia with their Dir Issa and Gurgure, however; several attempts to unite the three with other Somali tribes didn't fall through.

Clan Tree

Gurgure (abtirsi or clan tree) are subdivided into seven major sub-clans. Eldest son of Gurgure is Kundhuble, Gufaatile, Sanjecele, Sanaye, Nabidoor, Gacalwaaq and Biciide. The Gurgure Ugaas is selected and chosen from reer Gufatile as it is the tradition if he fulfills all the requirements.

• Dir
  • Madaxweyne
    • Gurgure (Mohamed)
      1. Habr Daar
         • Kundhible
           • Abdulle
           • Ali
      2. Dudub
         1. Libaan
            • Gufaatile
              • Ismail
              • Sabti
              • Awbare
            • Sanjeele
            • Sanaye
         2. Quwaxade
            • Nabidoor
              • Aw Bare
            • Biciide
              • Foodnabi
                • Ahmed
              • Ahmed Meel Gooble
            • Gacalwaaq
              • Cassa
                • Gumaroon
              • Jibril
                • Aden
                • Omar
                • Fiqii
                • Macalin
                • Eebo

Notable Gurgure People

• Ugaas Buux Gaiid(52nd Ugaas of Gurgure and one of Dir Dhabah's most notable figures)
• Ugaas Gadiid Abdullahi Ugaas Buux (53rd Ugaas of Gurgure)
• Ismail Aw Aden - the first mayor of Dire Dawa (after TPLF control left)
• Sh. Abdiaziz Sh. Abdiwali (Vice President of Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council)
• Ugaas Siyad Daud Cumar (54th and current Ugaas)
• Abdiwahab Sh. Abdiwali (former Colonel in the Somali National Army, Politician and prominent Gurgure leader of Dire Dawa and in Somali Region)
• Sh. Adam Ahmed Ibrahim (Adam Tula)
• Colonel Ahmed Kacaan
• Dr. Ahmed Y. Ali (Researcher at Cardiff University) "Dr Ali specialises in the chemistry of plants indigenous to the Horn of Africa and his scientific discoveries range from new garden pest repellents to anti-cancer agents, both based on Somali myrrh extracts, and an anti-inflammatory agent based on Somali frankincense.

• Shiekh Macalin Qaasim Xaaji-Maxamed (well known shiekh of Somaliland who taught the likes of former president Silaanyo of Somaliland)
• Shiekh Abdurahman Damota
• Cabdiaziz Gurgure (MP, former Ethiopian Ambassador to Ivory Coast, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and among other countries)