User:Gurgharri
It has been lots of missinformation about the Garri/Gharri people's history.
So,as a Gharri born person, I will inform the rest of the readers the Gharri history as it known to us, the Garri(Gharri) people.
INTRODUCTION: THE GHARRI PEOPLE ARE ALSO KNOWN AS GURRE, GARRE, OR GARRI BY THE COLONIALIST, AND THEY ARE LOCATED IN THE HORN OF Africa.
Background:
Gharri people are believed to be from Arab descent. Like many other African Muslims, they trace their genealogy to the family of the prophet Mohammed (PBUH) “Qurash” They are divided into two major sub clans, Tuf and Quran (Quranyowa.) According to The Gharri oral traditions, almost all of the Gharri elders agree including Sheikh Abdiwahid, one of the well respected Gharri elders from Gharri Konfur, Gharri was an arab immigrant who came from the Golf of Aden or possibly from “Yeman” He had two sons, Mohamed and Tuf. Mohamed died after he had one son Quran (quranyow). Quran was raised by his uncle Mr. Tuf. Later on he married Mako who is Tuf’s daughter and Quran’s first cousin. Then he (Quran) fathered two sons, Furkesha and Assaree. Assarree.had two sons, Bana and Kiliya.
Furkesha, the brother of Assarre , had seven sons, they were Hodkoya, Birkaya, Hoytra, Darawa, Kalwesha, Hurdeq and “SUBUKITRE”.
Also, the second half of the Gharri branch is Tuf. Tuf is believed to be the uncle and father in law’s of Quran or quranyow, and he had two sons, Ali and Adola. Adola had eight sons. They were Kalwina, Kalmassa, Bursuni, Odomai, Maqabille, maid, Rer Mug and Tubadi.
The Tuf’s second son Ali had three SONS; their names were Kalula, Tawulle and Sabdhawa. SO, TODAY, ALMOST EVERY GHARRI PERSON IS BELONGING TO ONE OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED GROUP OF THE SUB CLANS OF THE GHARRI PEOPLE.
"In a radius 15-50 Kilometers, East of Moyale are found Harmesem, Harsamte, and ChamuK areas, rich with gold mineral deposit totaling 1412 Tons, but so far these areas are subjected to only traditional gold mining." These are three Gharri young females gold-miners.
the Gharri experience:
THE GHARRI PEOPLE WERE RULED AND OCCUPIED BY RUTHLESS AND INHUMAN MONARCHS AND DICTATOR OF Ethiopia. MENELIKE SUBJECTED THE GHARRI PEOPLE TO PAINFUL POLITICAL AND ECONOMICAL REPRESSION. HAILE SELASSE CARRIED OUT THE TORCH AND COMMITTED GENOCIDE ON THE GHARRI PEOPLE. DURING HAILE SELASSE'S ADMINISTRATION, THE GHARRI PEOPLE SUFFERED YEAR AFTER YEARS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL FIXATION, POLITICAL AND ECONOMICAL ISOLATION. GHARRI MALES WERE SUBJECTED TO PHYSICAL TORTURE AND THEY LOST OVER 500 BILLION HERDS TO LOOTING BY HAILE SELASSE AND MENGISTU HAILE MARIAM'S GOVERNMENT SOLDIERS. ADHESIVE RESISTANCE OF THE GHARRI PEOPLE AND MANY OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS SUCCEEDED TO TOPPLING THE HAILE SELASSE MONARCHY DOWN IN 1974.
THE GHARRI PEOPLE, WHO HELPED TO OVERTHROW THE MONARCHY, WERE DENIED THE RIGHT OF SELF-RULE AND REGIONAL AUTONOMY. A MILITARY DICTATOR WHO WAS WORST AND CRUELER THAN THE MONARCHY ADMINISTRATION RULED THE COUNTRY AND COMMITTED GENOCIDE AGAINST THE GHARRI PEOPLE. BETWEEN 1958 AND 1966, THE HAILE SELASSE GOVERNMENT SLAUGHTERED 600 THOUSAND GHARRI CIVILIANS. ALSO, BETWEEN 1974 AND 1991 OVER THE DICTATOR MENGISTU HAILE MARIAM’S GOVERNMENT MURDERED 800 THOUSAND GHARRI CIVILIANS.
THE GHARRI LAND WAS TAKEN AWAY AND GHARRI PEOPLE WERE SUBJECTED TO UNTOLD AND UNDOCUMENTED HATE CRIMES, WHICH WERE COMMITTED BY VARIOUS FACTIONS IN ETHIOPIA. THE DICTATOR MENGISTU HAILE MARIAM PORTRAYED THE GHARRI PEOPLE AS FOREIGN TERRORIST AND AUTHORIZED ANIMOSITY AND TERRORIST ACTS EITHER OPENLY OR COVERTLY AGAINST THE GHARRI PEOPLE. AS A RESULTS I LOST MY OWN FATHER, UNCLES, NEPHEW AND OVER 400 EXTENDED FAMILY ONE DAY IN 1966, IN CITY OF WACHILLES, Homes AND MOSQUES WERE RAIDED BY THE DICTATORS MILITARY JUNTA AND GHARRI MALES WERE MURDERED EXECUTION STYLE. IN ONE INSTANCE, 60 MEN BETWEEN 16 AND 32 WERE TIED UP TOGETHER AND EXECUTED IN COLD BLOOD. EACH ONE OF THE MEN WAS SHOT AT LEAST 25 TIMES. MIRACULOUSLY, ONE MAN SURVIVED AFTER BEING SHOT 28 TIMES. MANY OTHER GHARRI MEN WERE KILLED BY HANGING AND THEIR BODIES WERE DISPLAYED IN THE MAIN CITY SQUARE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. PEOPLE WERE FORCED OUT OF THEIR HOUSES TO GO AND WATCH THE DECEASED TORTURED BODIES.
IN 1968, ONE GHARRI MAN WAS ACCUSED OF PLANTING LAND MINES AND OTHER TERRORIST ACTS AGAINST THE ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT. HE WAS TIED UP ON THE MILITARY JEEP BACK BUMPER, AND DRIVEN AROUND THE CITY BLOCKS AND TORTURED TO DEATH. HIS FLESH WAS DISPLAYED ON DESIGNATED AREAS ON THE MAIN STREET FOR SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE THE FAMILY COULD PICK THE BODY UP AND BURY HIM. DURING BOTH ADMINISTRATIONS (HAILE SELASSE AND MENGISTU HAILE MARIAM), THE GHARRI PEOPLE WERE HUNTED UNDER THE LABEL OF MUSLIM EXTREMIST OR Somali TERRORIST. AGAIN IN 1991-92 VARIOUS OPPOSITION GROUPS FROM DIFFERENT ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS INCLUDING THE GHARRI PEOPLE MANAGED TO OVERTHROW THE DICTATOR MENGISTU HAILE MARIAM'S GOVERNMENT. STILL THE GHARRI PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DENIED OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NEWLY ESTABLISHED TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT OF ETHIOPIA. INSTEAD THE O.L.F. REPRESENTING THE LARGEST ETHNIC GROUP AND HOLDING MAJORITY IN PARLIAMENTARY SEATS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE GHARRI PEOPLE TO HAVE THEIR REGIONAL AUTONOMY. THE OROMO LIBERATION FRONT (O.L.F.) CLAIMED THE GHARRI REGION AS PARTS OF THEIR OWN REGION. THE O.L.F. WAGE A CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE GHARRI PEOPLE, STATING THAT THE GHARRI PEOPLE ARE SOMALIAN, THEREFORE, THEY HAVE NO RIGHT TO CLAIM ANY REGION IN SO CALLED ETHIOPIA.
THEY VIEWED THE GHARRI PEOPLE AS FOREIGNERS AND OCCUPYING FORCES IN THE OROMO LAND.
HISTORY PROVES THAT THE GHARRI PEOPLE NEVER CLAIMED THEMSELVES AS ETHIOPIAN OR DID THEY ACCEPT ANY ETHIOPIAN ADMINISTRATION PRIOR TO CURRENT GOVERNMENT. THE GHARRI HAVE BEEN FIGHTING AGAINST ABYSSINIAN COLONIALIST SINCE 1889 WHEN MENELIKE INVADED THE GHARRI KINGDOM IN THE 1800S WITH THE HELP OF GERMANY AND BRITISH.
SINCE THE EUROPEAN SETTLERS CAME TO EAST AFRICA, PARTICULARLY BRITISH, ITALIAN AND THE FRENCH, THE GHARRI PEOPLE WERE DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS. BRITISH OCCUPIED THE GHARRI LANDS ON THE SOUTHWEST, THE ITALIANS OCCUPIED THE EAST, AND THE ETHIOPIAN OCCUPIED IN THE NORTHWEST. THE GHARRI LAND WAS NAMED AFTER THE BORANA CLAN. BECAUSE THE BORANA CLAN WAS PAGANS, WHO WERE BELIEVED TO BE EASY TO BE CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY. THEY WERE NON-MILITANT AND THEY ARE AMONGST THE GROUP OF NOMADS WHOM DID NOT PARTICIPATED IN A CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE BLACK IMPERIALIST ETHIOPIA. IN CONTRAST BOTH THE BRITISH AND THE ETHIOPIA IMPERIALIST VIEWED THE GHARRI PEOPLE AS ALWAYS UNRULY AND TROUBLESOME TRIBE.
IN 1895, THE GHARRI WERE DEFEATED BY THE BRITISH AND THE ETHIOPIAN EMPIRE. Mr. ALI ABDI THE GHARRI'S LEADER WENT TO THE ITALIAN FRONTIER IN SOMALI LAND AND ASKED FOR MILITARY ASSISTANCE, IN RETURN, THE GHARRI WOULD GRANT THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT THE RIGHT OF PASSAGE IN TO ETHIOPIA. ITALY AGREED AND GAVE MILITARY EQUIPMENTS TO THE GHARRI AND THE ETHIOPIAN ARMY WAS DEFEATED.
THE GHARRI GAINED CONTROL OF ITS REGION.
IN 1913, THE ETHIOPIAN AND THE BRITISH MADE A JOINT MILITARY CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE GHARRI AND INVADED THE GHARRI LAND. THEY COMMITTED GENOCIDE AGAINST THE GHARRI PEOPLE. THEREFORE, THE GHARRI PEOPLE ENDURED A HEART BREAKING SITUATION DUE TO CENTURIES OF COLONIALIZATION BY THE BRITISH AND ETHIOPIA.
THE BRITISH OCCUPIED THE GHARRI COUNTRY FOR 61 YEARS. DURING THE 61 YEARS OF OCCUPATION, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT PRACTICALLY ROBBED THE GHARRI OF THEIR LIFE STOCKS AND DESTROYED WILD ANIMALS SUCH AS RHINO, ELEPHANTS, BUFFALO, AND TIGERS. THE BRITISH AND ETHIOPIAN IMPERIALISTS COLLECTED CATTLE AS FORM OF TRIBUTE AND TAXES. IN SOME CASES THEY RAIDED THE GHARRI VILLAGES AND LOOTED THEIR HERDS. THEY JUSTIFIED THE RAID BY STATING THAT THEY ARE ENFORCING THE LAW TO COLLECT TAXES FROM THOSE GHARRI "GANGS" WHO DEFIED THE LAW.
THE BRITISH ALSO HELPED THE ETHIOPIANS TO OCCUPY THE GHARRI COUNTRY IN ORDER TO STOP THE GHARRI PEOPLE FROM MOVING AND KEEPING THEIR RESOURCES TO FAR NORTHERN GHARRI, WHAT IS KNOWN TODAY AS THE SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA.
THE GHARRI LEADERS WERE CAPTURED AND MANY OTHERS WERE MURDERED,
GABABA MAHAD, HIS SON HASSAN GABABA, ALI ABDI WERE AMONGST THE LEADERS THAT WERE CAPTURED BY BRITISH OCCUPYING FORCES. GABABA MAHAD WAS ARRESTED IN NAIROBI FOR 10 YEARS. HE WAS TORTURE IN PRISON AND LATER RELEASED. BUT, HE DIED LATER FROM TRAUMA AND HEAD INJURY. HIS SON HAJJ HASSAN GABABA ALSO WAS CAPTURED AND KEPT UNDER HOUSE ARREST IN MARSABIT. THE BRITISH OCCUPYING FORCES CONSIDERED HIM AS MILITANT, UNRULY, AND ANTI BRITISH COLONIALIST. THEREFORE, HE WAS DETAINED UNDER BRITISH MILITARY (DEFENSE) REGULATION OF 1939 SECTION NUMBER 23 AND 24. HE WAS KEPT IN MARSABIT FROM DECEMBER 1942 TO 1950. HE LATER ESCAPED TO ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA AND DECLARED WAR AGAINST BRITISH COLONIAL FORCES, BUT, HE WAS LATER KILLED BY EMPEROR HAILE SELASSE IN 1964.
LANGUAGE:
THE GHARRI PEOPLE SPEAK MULTI LANGUAGES. THEY SPEAK GHARRI KOFFAR, SOMALI, SWAHILI, ARABIC, AFFAN GHARRI, AND AMHARIC. MANY OF THESE LANGUAGES WERE LEARNED THROUGH GEOGRAPHICAL COHABITATION WITH OTHERS. THE OTHERS WERE IMPOSED ON TO THEM BY THE COLONIALIST.
RELIGION:
THE GHARRI POPULATIONS ARE 100% MUSLIMS.
AGRICULTURE:
THE GHARRI DEPEND UPON LIFE STOCKS AND LIFE STOCKS PRODUCTS. IN THE PAST, THEY HAVE HAD ABUNDANT LIVE STOCKS AND WILD ANIMALS. THE GHARRI PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVELIHOOD DUE TO LOOTING AND FAMINE. THEIR LIVE STOCKS WERE LOOTED BY THE EMPEROR HAILE SELASSE AND BY THE DICTATOR MENGISTU HAILE MARIAM GOVERNMENT'S SOLDIERS.
Tradition: the gharri people are peace loving, god fearing people with traditions and customs peculiar to themselves.
Wedding: the Gharri people practice arranged marriages. First, the parents of a groom SEND about a pound OF COFFEE, tea and Sugar, tied to the corner of small white sheet, possibly about two yards as a proposal to mary their daughter. If the family accepts the offer, they (bride family) respond by saying we heard you (la issan dhageene)
Barchuma Naqachu: (engagement)
Few months later, the groom’s family follow up with something a little bit bigger to the mother of the bride as a gift to complete the engagement. Then the bride’s family says, “barchuma La Issani Dhabnee or kennine” (meaning we agreed for your son to marry our daughter) Depending on the season, soon after, the family of the groom will ask the bride’s family when they want to set a wedding date. At this point they either ACCEPTS the date or request to change the date to WHATEVER date that is convenient for them. On the wedding ceremony day, women from both side, the bride and the groom’s family supporters sing songs called “Isso Allima”, they sing about the bride’s family or clan usually a form of praising their son and daughter or TEASING ONE another, they sing a song about their son’s strengths and values.
Male and female traditional songs,
the Gharri young boys sing songs about beautiful girls, as well as teasing songs that includes an insult and is embarrasements.
Its called “arrab ilman dhira.” in addition, the gharri young men plays gonni, sarki, and Obbee tabachu. Gonni is a tagging game, or playing tag. Sarki is a form of dancing and show of stregnth for young men. it also, involves some form of wrsttling. and Obbee tabachis is target shooting with sharp sticks (Lawe) while obbee, (an circular object) is ROLLING FASTER
The Gharri young girls sing SONGS CALLED rerre-rerre they sing about their handsome brothers and beautiful sisters, as well as about their particular sub clan. also they sing songs to tease fellow girls.
Having a baby boy:
Every Gharri household sacrifices ANIMALS AND has a feast to pray for their newborn sons and also gives the newborn an animal usually a calf or a heifer. In addition, they give their son an animal at the time of circumcision, if he does not cry during the circumcision as a gift for his courage.
fortunetellers. The Gharri people do have Fortunetellers. Tools needed to perform are as follows: Funno, (rope) Sandy ground for Faal, and Kopee (shoes). Funno is a short rope, approximately, about two yards long and it is performed mostly by middle age women. MEN PERFORM KOPEE AND FAAL. However some women can perform Faal too. It is used mostly during war time to predict numbers of casualties as well as successful operation. also it is used to locate lost herds, and or to predict a future event or events.
Gharri’s Inventions and Discovery:
Inventions:
among many inventions, Gharri INVETED ELEGANT Dasse, and Uttuba, (roofing and home building materials), Qorri, (wood Plat) muduna, (Wooden Cup) Moqa, (wooden Spoon) Garbisar, (Scarf) Borrati (Pillow), Sirre, Alluu,(red Paint) Uchum,(match), kokeed (wood shoes), Kopee Goga (lether shoes), , and many more.
DISCOVERY:
HAWACHOW, (antibiotic) is used primarily to treat Gonorrhea and tape worms. Also, is used to treat a broad range of infections, muscle spasms, and backheach.
Warra (detergant) is used to wash garments.
Ollombo ((Anti inflamation) is used primarily to treat infected skins and to relief of pain and inflammation for both human and animals.
Urr:is used to treat infectious disease caused by insects bits (for ANIMALS) ONLY.
Salmac (laxative) is used to treat constipation
Qol Sotowesa: is used to treat hepatitis and Jaundice.
Ampee qumbi:is used to make INKS (Anqasti) FOR quranic writing, cast and incense
Dharkeen: is used primarily to treat fungus infections.
Qol Agarsu: is used as alternative tea and to make red paints for uttuba.
Anan Dana: is used primarily to treat eczema (Robbi)
POPULATIONS:
THE GHARRI POPULATION IS ABOUT 1.9 MILLION TODAY.
BETWEEN 1950'S AND 1979, THE GHARRI WAS REDUCED FROM 6 MILLION TO 1.89 MILLION. THIS PERIOD BEGINS WITH EMPEROR HAILE SELASSE AND ENDS WITH HIS SUCCESSOR DICTATOR MENGISTU HAILE MARIAM, WHO CONTINUED TO THREATEN THE GHARRI PEOPLE WITH CRUELTIES, GENOCIDE, LOOTING OF THEIR LIFE STOCKS, AND THEIR MINERAL RESOURCES.
THE ETHIOPIAN MONARCHIES AND DICTATOR GOVERNMENTS WERE USING THE BORANA CLANSMEN AS A FORM OF CANNON OR TRAINED DOG TO LOCATE THE GHARRI’S HIDE OUTS. THEY CREATED ETHNIC CONFLICTS, WERE ITS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE TWO INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OR CLANS TO LIVE TOGETHER IN HARMONY. DURING THE 1980S TO PRESENT DAY, THE ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT SUCCEEDED PUSHING THE GHARRI PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR HOMELANDS AND CITIES TO UNSATURATED DESERT AREA, EXACTLY THE SAME WAY THE WHITE SOUTH AFRICAN DID TO THE MAJORITY of the BLACK SOUTH AFRICANS DURING THE APARTHEID ERA. OFTEN, THEY GO AND CAMP AROUND THE WATER WELLS, AND BLOCK THE INNOCENT GHARRI CIVILIAN FROM GETTING WATER FOR THEIR FAMILIES AND FOR THEIR HERDS.
THEREFORE, THEY LOOTED AS MANY HERDS AS THEY WANTED AND MURDERED AS MANY PEOPLE THEY WISH TO MURDER. THEY COMMITTED HORRENDOUS CRIMES AND GENOCIDE AGAINST THE GHARRI PEOPLE.
THE ETHNIC CLEANSING THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT IN THE 90S, WAS PRACTICED BY THE ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT AGAINST THE GHARRI PEOPLE. THE ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT RECRUITED THE BORANA CLANSMEN IN TO THEIR MILITARY, FOR THE PURPOSE OF ERADICATING THE GHARRI PEOPLE. THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS KNEW THAT THIS GROUP OF GALLAS OR BORANA CLANSMEN ARE NON-RELIGIOUS PAGANS AND WITH CANNIBALISTIC BEHAVIOR, IN WHICH KILLING AND MUTILATION ARE PARTS OF THEIR SOCIAL AND RITUAL PRACTICES. SO, ALL OF THE RECRUITS WERE SENT TO STATION IN THE GHARRI REGION. THEREFORE, THOSE MILITARY PERSONNEL'S CONTINUED PRACTICING THE SAME RITUALS AS THEIR COUNTER PARTS. THEIR MEMBERS WHO DID NOT MURDER AND MUTILATE A MALE PERSON'S GENITALS INCLUDING THE UNBORN CHILD IS CONSIDERED AS HAVE BEEN FAILED TO DEMONSTRATE HIS MANHOOD SUFFICIENTLY, AND LOOK DOWN UPON HIM AND SEE HIM AS UNFITS TO PARTICIPATE IN A SOCIAL EVENTS BOTH FOR THE PURPOSE OF HAVING A GIRL FRIEND AND AS WELL AS FOR MARRIAGE.
SO, THEY GO AND MURDER THE GHARRI CITIZENS AND MUTILATE THEIR BODY PARTS. THEY TOOK HOME THE MALE GENITALS OR PENIS AS EVIDENCE AND TROPHIES.
MANY TIMES THEY KILL PREGNANT WOMAN FOR THE UNBORN CHILD TO SEE IF SHE IS CARRYING A BOY. SO, THE ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT SOLDIERS KILL THE GHARRI MALES, YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE, IN THE PROCESS, ACHIEVES RECOGNITION AS HEROES. THOSE VICIOUS MONARCHS AND DICTATOR GOVERNMENT OF ETHIOPIA TOOK ADVANTAGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND COMMITTED AN UNTOLD ETHNIC CLEANSING AGAINST THE GHARRI PEOPLE. STILL TODAY, THE GHARRI PEOPLE ARE BEING PREYED UPON FROM TIME TO TIMES, AND THEIR HORROR EXPERIENCES HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD OR REPORTED TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES.
To be Continue.