User:Baardheere, Somalia

Baardheere, Southern Somalia: Indigenous leadership and the legacy of religious Jama’a in pre- and post-colonial society

Omar A. Sheikh Abdurahman (PhD)

Somalia has a long history and well known figures who developed unique systems of governance, which allowed economic development, social harmony and political participation long before the colonial occupation. The history of the Jama’a of Baardheere offers one such example. This work part of a larger project exploring the Jama’a system of administration, structure of governance, leadership and how their legacy is a living history in parts of present day Somalia. It gives an overview of the history of Baardheere, the oldest and most famous Jama’a in Somali territories. It looks at its emergence, establishment as a settlement and religious center in the interior of Somalia in the late 18th century. Using oral history, unpublished written documents and perusal of available literature, the paper will provide valuable insight into aspects of history that was not available to external researchers. It is hoped that this contribution at this junction of Somali history will help resuscitate and reconstruct Somalia's crumbled make-up and poor image of self-governance and provide a better understanding of what happened in the past and how it relates to the present.

Bardheere, one of the main townships in southern Somalia, located on a terrace on the left bank of the Juba River, at a distance of almost 300 km. in a straight line from the mouth of the river, and at an altitude of about 118 m. s. m. It is the capital of residence Gedo region.

Bardheere has a certain importance as the main center of a large group of villages, inhabited by Af-Maay speaking populations, especially the eastern part. The basic livelihood is from an alternate agricultural occupations with those of a pastoralism with cyclical transhumances, which take place in the extensive and uninhabited surrounding woods. The surrounding region takes the name of Jama'a with allusion to the sacred character of this village (Giāmi ‛" mosque "), which was in fact founded by the very revered sheikh Yabbarow.

Of the Somali Islamic institutions, the earliest and most famous was the Baardhaare Jama’ah. Baardheere was founded in 1776 by Sheikh Ibrahim Hassan Yabbaraw. Sheikh Yabbaraw was born in Dafeed, a town located in southern Somalia between Afgoi and Buurhakaba. When he returned from the Hajj to Meccah and al-Madinah to his home town, he wanted to establish there a reformist Jama’ah, but was refused. Then, he decided to imigrate from the Somali coast to Baardheere (Baar means “palm tree” and Dheere means “tall”), which is located in the hinterland on the Jubba River, in the modern-day province of Gedo, and established Jama’ah there.

The Baardheere Jama’a was self-sufficient economically and developed its own administration and defence. The Jama’a was composed of six sections ( Elay, Ajuran, Rer Dafeet, Furung-gaduud, hiraab and Darood). The sections elected leaders in consultation with the ulu al-amri (the one in charge, the supreme authority) of the Jama’a, who could be elected from the people of Baardheere or recruited elsewhere. The ulu al-amri was always a direct descendant of the Jama’a leaders and was advised by the section leaders representing the Jama’as diverse membership. Sheikh Yabbarow died in the same year and was succeeded by Sheikh Ali Dhurre, who was the builder and organizer of the defense wall and system of the Jama’ah, which helped it face considerable hostility from the surrounding tribes.

The first european to reach Baardheere was a German who was said to be an explorer known as Baron Karl Klaus von der Decken. He travelled by means of a steamboat, the Welf, with which he had gone up the river from the down stream. The boat ran ashore at the Matagassíle (or Arriento) rapids, about 30 km. above the Baardheere. Decken with Dr. Linck and other companions got help and were to be rescued to Baardhere, but two of them were killed (1865) by the natives for unknown reasons. Since then many travelers have tried, but in vain, to set foot in the village: the first who succeeded by claiming commercial interest was UgoFerrandi in January 1893: and after him Bòttego and Ruspoli (to be continued).