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'Buhoodle' or Buuhoodle is the capital of the Ayn province of Somalia. It has a population of 90,000 inhabitants.

Buhoodle is located on the border between Somalia and Ethiopia. It is serves as a commercial hub for the movement of goods to and from Bosaso, Garoowe, Las Anod, Galcayo, Wardheer, Burco, the surrounding area, and Ethiopia. The city is rich in livestock. It also has modern communication systems such as cell phones, land-line phones, as well as internet services. The city has a new hospital along with modern hotels.

Buuhoodle is a historical city. It is where the Dervish nationalist movement in Somalia began. The inhabitants are very proud people who disdain colonialism. Noble individuals who were born in Buuhoodle include: Ismaciil Mire, Samatar Baxnaan, Cali Dhuux, Aadan Carab, Sayid Moxamed Abdulle Xasan, Cumar Igal. These great men are respected all over Somalia today.

People in Buuhodle largely belong to the,caligeri, Samakaab Axmed, Cigaal Naaleeye as well as Khaalid, Hayaag, Maxamed Muuse Yaxye and Barkad subclan of the Dhulbahante Darod clan. The Dhulbahante are particularly notable for their business acumen. Since the civil war, the majority have also returned to their native Sool and Cayn regions.

Bulhoodle and its environs are disputed by the Puntland and Somaliland autonomous macro-regions of Somalia.

References

1. "Puntland State". Puntland State Government. Retrieved 2007-02-06.

8°15′17″N 46°19′42″E / 8.25472°N 46.32833°E / 8.25472; 46.32833 (Buuhoodle)

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History OF Darwiish Ismaaciil Mire,PART 1

Ba'da gabay Ismaaciil Mirow adaa buuni ku ahaaye Beyduu akhriyay weli ma odhan yaa bedela kaase

The words of Cali Dhuux Aadan paying tribute to the poetic abilities of Mujaahid and Wadani Ismaaciil Mire, the Great Darwiish General who fought for the majestic cause of Somali liberation, leading Darwiish armies into battle from Berbera(the very centre of the English Rule) to Hobyo and the Sultanate of Cali Yuusuf, the ruler of Mudug, and from there all the way to the valley of the River Shabeele in Hiiraan, Central Somalia.

Ismaaciil Mire, a son of the Dhulbahante, Reer Cali Geri, was born in the 1870s at the height of the power of the Dhulbahante. After the fall of the Kingdom of the Great Boqor Wiilwaal and sun had set on the Bartire, it might be fairly claimed that the Dhulbahante emerged as the most powerful and most feared tribe in Somalia. That reputation was solidified when Dhulbahante defeated the Ogaadeen in one of the most bloody, vicious and brutal battles in Somali history. The battle took place below Kabar Ogaadeen hills(Named after the battle). The Dhulbahante were left as the undisputed masters of Northern Somalia, occupying the land from Jiidali in the north of Sanaag to Ceelcad near the Mudug border in the south. From Kiridh in the west to Xalin in the Nugaal valley where they bordered the Majeerteen.

In the middle of the nineteenth century the English sent two explorers to prepare the way for English colonization of Northern Somalia. Richard Burton landed in the western part of Northern Somalia, among the Isaaq. To the east they sent his partner in exploration, a certain Mr John Speke who landed at Laasqoray with a brief to traverse the Dhulbahante country and meet up with his fellow explorer Richard Burton in Harar. Speke's mission was not a complete success as he was not able to proceed through the Dhulbahante country on account of hostility and suspicion that greeted his journey through their land. But he made many discoveries and recorded facts that are useful to us in reconstructing the condition and circumstances of the Dhulbahante clan in the middle of the 19th century.

Speke's arrival was greeted with suspicion as he advanced towards the Dhulbahante frontier in the spring of 1855. He received many alarming reports warning him about the Dhulbahante as being a "terrible and savage nation" who were unsettled by reports of Speke's marking out the Warsangeli land with paper. Speke wrote that he was delayed for eight days while his motives for travelling through the Dhulbahante lands were being established. He was eventually allowed to proceed and he recorded the internecine warfare that split the Dhulbahante Kingdom into two factions in those years. Until that time the Dhulbahante were under the Figurehead command of the hereditary Garaadship of the Baharasame kings but a schism developed in the early to mid 19th century that saw the rise and investiture of one Cali Xaram(Maxamuud Ugaadhyahan) who formed a breakaway Garaadship for the Maxamuud Garaad. It was a natural consequence of the growing vigour and rude health of the Dhulbahante clan whose lands, wealth and population became too large for their affairs to be run by a single Garaad. These birth-pangs of a New Order led to ruinous wars between the brother lineages of the Dhulbahante that exacted a heavy toll.

Despite these discords and intestine wars, Dhulbahante presented a united front in opposing what they felt any encroachment by suspicious foreigners. The Dhulbahante made it clear to Speke that he could only proceed through their land at their sufferance and authority and he was confronted with an ultimatum that he should pay for his passage through Dhulbahante or else turn back. As a demonstration of the hostile reception he could face the Dhulbahante arranged for Speke to witness a mounted Expedition of 4000 men being assembled for one of the dreaded Dhulbahante Cavalry raids that were periodically carried out by the descendants of Siciid Harti against their neighbouring tribes, both Isaaq and Daarood; Raids that spread fear and foreboding throughout the land as the thundering hooves of the Dhulbahante horsemen presaged terrible material and human losses:

The other people I met here were some Dulbahantas arming for the fight. They said they were 4000 strong in cavalry, and were slaughtering sheep wholesale for provision on the road. Each man carried a junk of flesh, a skin of water, and a little hay, and was then ready for a long campaign, for they were not soft like the English (their general boast), who must have their daily food; they were hardy enough to work without eating ten days in succession, if the emergency required it.

It gives us a flavour of the life of the Dhulbahante at the time that Siciid Qamax, the legendary Cali Naaleeye warrior and poet, composed his famous poem when the Dhulbahante reached the Indian ocean at Illig in a bloody march through Majeerteen lands, along the way exacting terrible revenge for a previous attack by the Majeerteen on the Dhulbahante. Before they reached the ocean they succeeding in sacking the historic capital of the Cismaan Maxamuud at Noobir(between Iskushuban and Beyla).

Waa loo shuhuud NOOBIR inay shaxi ka jeexnayde. Badda shaqafka inaan soo darsaday sheegyay aadmiguye. Iidoorku waa midaan shidiyo midaan shiddeeyaaye. Shan haddaan ka dilo, waa anoo neef shidhow qalaye Turki baan u shoolaye nin kale shuufay hadalkiise

Speke eventually turned back after his fate was spelled out to him in the starkest terms by his native guides:

They (the Dhulbahante) did not fear guns. The English could not reach them; besides, their fathers had driven Christians from these lands; and if an army was to attack them, they would assemble so many cavalry, and ride in such rapidity around them, that their gunners could not take aim in consequence of the clouds of dust which this feat would occasion!

Shortly thereafter Speke turned back and made his way to Harar by some alternative route. He and Burton ran into a hot reception from the Habar Awal and their mission ended acrimoniously amid bitter recriminations between the two explorers.

Another explorer who had a better time of it in Dhulbahante country was the man sent by the Royal Geographic society to survey the northern part of the land of the Somalis. He also noted the bitter intestine warfare that was ravaging the Dhulbahante Kingdom amid the schism between the two great Lineages of the tribe. But his impressions were in similar vein to Speke, highlighting the overwhelming martial nature of the tribe and their superiority as fighting force occassioned by their use of Cavalry charges that gave them great mobility and an irresistible battlefield presence. Cruttenden wrote:

Dhulbahante are a nation who fight chiefly on horseback their arms being 2 spears and a shield. Their horses are powerful and courageous; the breed descended, according to Somali tradition, from the stud of Suleiman, the son of David, and consequently highly valued. The Dulbahante, as far as I have seen them, are a fine martial race of men, second to none of the branches of Darrood either in conduct or appearance, and they are described as being courteous and hospitable to the stranger who visits them.

The abundance of horses in the Dhulbahante country and the prowess of the Dhulbahante as horsemen is recurring theme. Drake-Brockman, a colonial civil servant during the Darwiish wars remarks on this in his book, British Somaliland:

Previous to the expeditions against the Mullah, the tribes which were, in all probability, the best off in horses were the Dulbahanta, and after them the Ogaden. At all events, most of those in a position to speak are agreed that the Dulbahantas are the best horsemen among the Somalis.

The next visitor to the Dhulbahante country was one Harold Swayne in the 1870s. He wrote extensively about Northern Somalia in his books Seventeen Trips through Somaliland. Swayne wrote that "of the Somali tribes I have met on different expeditions those having the most ponies are the Dhulbahante, the Reer Amaadin and the Jibriil Abokor. In the Nugaal country we saw enormous number, one man sometimes owning 150"! This abundance of horses gave the Dhulbahante great strategic advantage which they pressed relentlessly. It allowed them to cover huge distances. Swayne records that the Dhulbahante were a tribe addicted to raiding and their horsemen rampaged down the coast molesting the coastal trade centres of Bullaxaar and Berbera. They also harried and looted the trade caravans coming from Mudug and Ogaadeeniya. When Swayne visited Caynaba then occupied by the powerful Ararsame lineage of Axmed Garaad he witnessed large number of caravans that were Ararsame Magan. The caravans were afraid to venture towards Berbera fearful of Maxamuuud Garaad horsemen.

Swayne writes that the people of Badweyn 'had just come from Gosaweine, driven from there by fear of Mahamud Gerad, and we were assured we would most certainly be attacked by that tribe if we held to our determination of going to Gosaweine. We were further told that the plains were very open and the horsemen "as numerous as the Sand" and that years ago a force of natives armed with 100 matchlocks had been completely wiped out there by a night attack'. In the event, Swayne's party did not meet the "the terrible Mahamud Gerad" but was instead given an escort by a detachment of Ararsame and Barkad horses who were themselves on the lookout against the Mahamud Gerad. Swayne's party made a bivouac on the plain that night. But caution dictated to them that they not light any fires to avoid attracting the menacing attentions of the Mahamud Gerad Cavalry.

Swayne in his travels comes upon and mentions in his book one of the most glorious Dhulbahante Battle victories. Upon visiting Caynaba, he writes that he "halted at a steep, flat-topped hill called Kabr Ogaden, or the Ogaden graves, where a great Ogaden army perished at the hands of the Dolbahanta". He continues that the tribe was here in "strength, with enormous droves of camels and ponies and flocks of sheep. For a mile round the wells were clouds of dust kicked up by the thirsty animals".

It was amid the splendour of this majestic, sprawling kingdom that Ismaaciil Mire Cilmi was born to the Guuleed Cali Geri branch of the Dhulbahante. At the time of Ismaaciil's birth the Cali Geri were recovering from the bloody conflicts that convulsed their family after the vanity of Aadan Galaydh and his expansive family lit the touchpaper to intestine wars that left an indelible mark on Somali history. The story has been immortalized by an aged Ismaaciil Mire in a poem intended as a cautionary tale against overweening pride, the kind that led to the Qabaal Wars that shook the Cali Geri family. It started when Cumar Aadan Galaydh 'Cumar Aji' was denied pre-eminence of place at the watering hole by one Maxamed Cabdille Liibaan who (to emphasize his point that Cumar Aji will not drink from the well) broke the Qabaal that was being used to water the Camels. Cumar Aji promptly murdered Liibaan for his effrontery in standing up to a member of Aadan Galaydh household.

This set off a chain reaction that led to Cumar Aji being murdered at the site of a Balli watering hole and settlement that to this day bears his name to commemorate this infamy (the name appears on some maps). It also led to massive Cavarly wars that pitted the two brawling lineages of the Cali Geri against each other. Aadan Galaydh, Qoorwaa Jaamac and Boos Illaawe were some of the personalities that took part in those wars and whose names were immortalized in those bloody and violent conflicts. Aadan Galaydh's rashness and his role in prolonging the conflict were redeemed by the courage and sacrifice of his numerous grandchildren (and some of his own children) who in later years embraced the Darwiish cause and fought valiantly in the majestic cause of Somali liberation. Xayd Aadan Galaydh and 3 of Baynax Aadan Galaydh's children were killed in Jidbaale, the disastrous engagement that nearly destroyed the Darwiish Movement in 1904. Portions of Sayid Maxamed's Gudban poem read as a moving dirge in memory of the fallen Cali Geri heroes who were lost in that bloody encounter.

Gambalaaligii bay warmaha nagu garraaxeene Eebbow waa gumaadeen raggii gaanaha ahaaye Eebbow waxay gabawareen Gaagguf iyo Xayde Guuleedku wuxuu noo ahaa guurti loo hirane Nimankii garaadada ahaa waa gadow jabane Eebbow sidii gaanti maro waa la gaasiraye

Qoorwaa Jaamac, the legendary warrior, who put his mark on a Lebi(Poinciana Elata) tree that was thereafter named Lebi Suntaale, none allowed to sit under it, also had a role in prolonging the conflict. When a peace assembly was held he asked the provocative question: Can we have a living and breathing Cumar Aji restored to us? When the obvious reply came that a living Cumar Aji was an impossible notion, he responded: Peace will also be an impossible notion!! (Cumar Aji haddii la heli waayo, nabadna la heli maayo).

By the time of Ismaaciil Mire's birth peace and amity was restored among the Cali Geri and their prosperity revived an it was in this milieu that young Ismaaciil Mire was raised. In his formative years he spent learning the Koran as well as imbibing the culture, poetry and the ways of the Somali people. He was taught the indispensable arts of horsemanship, so vital to the warrior Dhulbahante way of life. In a very short time Ismaaciil Mire emerged as "a skillful leader of great courage and prudence".

When the aggressive and predatory European colonialists arrived in Somalia and opened their mission schools and strangled the coastal cities of Somalia, Ismaaciil Mire was one of the Dhulbahante leaders who were alarmed by this new development. When Sayid Maxamed Cabdille Xasan launched the Holy Darwiish movement Ismaaciil Mire was one of the first people to embrace the cause. For him, like all the Dhulbahante, it was a choice between Freedom and Servitude, Degeneracy and Morality, Treachery and Loyalty. In short it was a choice between Right and Wrong. The land of the Somalis can only be ruled by Somalis and it was in the defense of the Somalia, its religion and culture that he waged a relentless war of liberation that lasted for two decades.

In the first year of the Darwiish movement, the Dhulbahante, and Cali Geri in particular, formed a reserve elite force with modern arms numbering less than a thousand bolstered by additional thousands of spearmen from the various Somali tribes of Northern Somalia. As they moved into Ogaadeeniya large numbers of Maxamed Subeer embraced the Darwiish cause. The Ethiopians, upon hearing about the activities of the Darwiishes, sent out a large force from Harar. It was first feared that the Abyssinians were planning to advance as far as Dhagaxbuur. In the event, they stopped at Jigjiga and on March 21, 1900 a large Darwiish army made up of Ogaadeen spearmen engaged the Ethiopians at Jigjiga but they were eventually repelled by the better-armed Abyssinians, who themselves sustained not inconsiderable losses. The Abyssinian force was led by Garazmach Bante who sent a detailed report of the battle to the English, no doubt self -aggrandizing and painting the Abyssinians in the best possible light. He writes that the Reer Cali and Reer Haaruun abandoned the Darwiish movement amid accusations that the Darwiish leadership misrepresented the intelligence on Abyssinian fighting strength and sent the Ogaadeen into battle woefully under-armed.

With the assault on Jigjiga the battle for Somali liberation was well and truly joined. But it also dealt a heavy blow to the nascent struggle when the movement lost Ogaadeeni confidence. On top of the grievances we noted above, the Ogaadeens complained that the Dhulbahante had the better arms and were spared from the suicidal Jigjiga assault. The final rupture with the Ogaadeen came when Maxamed Subeer elders Guraase Xaaji Cali and Xuseen Yuusuf Xirsi 'Iljeex' conspired at Gurdumi to assassinate the Sayid. Sayid Maxamed was saved from walking into an ambush after being warned by a man named Cabdi Garaad Yuusuf. The Sayid was eternally grateful to this man. When the son of Cabdi Yuusuf Garaad came to visit the Darwiish Xarun, the Sayid composed a poem that included the following lines:

Maantuu ibleyskii Iljeex na ibtilaynaayay Idilkii Subeyr maalintuu oboda ii dhiibay Arbow ina Garaad Yuusuf baa aanaday galaye waatuu akhbaartii i yidhi aaminka ahayde Isna kaa maanta soo ambaday inankii weeyaane Alaakoodsha oo wiilku yuu agab la'aan sheegan Afka wuxuu ka dooniyo kuu uur ka rabo siiya Ninkii loo ixsaan falahayaba iniq u dheereeya

The epilogue to the Jigjiga campaign was that the Sayid and 500 Dhulbahante Special Force that included Ismaaciil Mire, based at Haradigeed, were attacked by a large raiding party of the Habar Yoonis who were after the Reer Cali of the Ogaadeen. The Habar Yoonis and Reer Cali were engaged in a vicious war that unsettled the whole area. Unfortunately, for them they stumbled on the Darwiish reserve force, uniformly armed with modern rifles, and the Habar Yoonis were cut down, losing between 100-150 men before retreating. This incident poisoned Darwiish/Habar Yoonis relations for all time, compounded by the Dayax Weerar episode when Habar Yoonis in the Oodweyne district were looted.

Despite the Ogaadeen abandonment of the Darwiish cause, nevertheles the movement gathered strength in both men and materiel and the Sayid felt confident enough to take action against many of the tribes that were found to be intractable and refusing to join the Cause. A letter written to the J. Hayes Sadler, the British Consul at Berbera, by one Signor Gerolimato, an Amharic-speaking Italian, observed that the Ras Makonen and Garazmach Bante were not "sanguine as to the Abyssinians' succesfully establishing their authority in the Ogaden". Sadler observes that Darwiish domination of the Ogaden would spell ruination to British trade. He also believed that if the fears of the Abyssinian leadership were to materialize and the Sayid became the undisputed master of the Ogaden that it will 'mean that we shall be forced to have a permanent military occupation of the Protectorate.

By the middle of the 1901 the Darwiish Army swelled to 32,000 men and the British were so alarmed by the growing influence and power of the Darwiish Movement that they launched an Expedition headed by E. J. E. Swayne, the brother of Harold, explorer of Northern Somalia, to quell the 'rebellion' once and for all. From that time until 1904 when the fourth and last British Military Expedition ended, the British and the Darwiishes fought a series of inconclusive engagements that ended with Sayid being ceded large territory in from Mudug to Nugaal. The history of these campaigns have been essayed extensively and need not be recounted here. The principal matter of this narrative is the role played by Darwiish Commander Mujaahid Ismaaciil Mire in the struggle to liberate Somalia from Colonial Domination.

The second installment in this historic essay will trace the major military expeditions commanded by Mujaahid Ismaaciil Mire and the poetry he composed to mark those victories.

History OF Darwiish Ismaaciil Mire, part 2

In 1905 Sayid Maxamed and the Darwiish forces signed a peace treaty that ceded the Nugaal to the Darwiish forces in return for a cessation of violence and a promise to stop interfering in the affairs of the British-protected tribes and their lands. Lee Cassaneli wrote that historians are unanimous in their view that the Sayid did not enter into this arrangement with honest intentions, but rather, that it was a ploy to gain time in order to regroup and re-establish his power. He cites the Sayid's clandestine relations with the Biyamaal to whom he provided a lot of weapons. This theory gains further credence when you take into account the Darwiish expansionist attitude towards the Kingdom of Cali Yuusuf and their aggressive stance towards him.

In February, 1905 the English received intelligence supplied by a Signor Olivo who relayed the distress of Suldaan Cali Yuusuf at reports that the Daraawiish had captured Garacad, with the Sayid himself settling there. The Darwiishes viewed Garacad as a useful coastal settlement with a natural harbour. It would facilitate Darwiish gun-running activities and trade. Signor Olivo wrote that Cavaliere Pestalozza was en route to Hobyo to consult with Suldaan Cali Yuusuf. There were further telegraphic reports relating the flight of Reer Mahad from Garacad as their stock was looted by the advancing Darwiishes.

Thus, after many years of trying, were the Daraawiish finally able to establish a strong and deep presence in Mudug. After the successes of 1905, they built forts at Garacad and Jarriiban. It was one of the main strategic objectives of the Darwiish movement to establish themselves along the Mudug coast for trade purposes; and to control the interior of Mudug that was rich in stock and traversed by many trade caravans. But the inhabitants Mudug proved very recalcitrant, partly out of loyalty to Suldaan Cali Yuusuf and partly out of fear of him. As far back as 1902, Ismaaciil Mire was the spearhead of the Darwiish assault against many strongholds of Suldaan Cali Yuusuf in Mudug and to punish any tribes who were obstructing the Jihaad. In Sept 1902, The Darwiish forces attacked Suldaan Cali Yuusuf's fort at Gaalkacayo and occupied it. A report received by the English high command reads as follows: "in consequence of this success the prestige of the Mullah had considerably increased among southern and western tribes of the Mudug district". Col. Swayne believed that this was a serious reverse for Cali Yuusuf and proposed that a force of 600 Sudanese, with four guns, should be landed at Hobyo to buttress the Majeerteen King. The Darwiish occupation of interior Mudug was not a lasting one.

They were routed out of Mudug by General Manning's forces that landed at Hobyo at the start of the 3rd English Expedition. But by July, 1904 Cali Yuusuf's position at Gaalkacayo became untenable once more and Swayne sent a telegram that the Majeerteen King had already evacuated Gaalkacayo reasoning that he feared for Hobyo and would concentrate his defenses there. The King reiterated his need for more rifles. Swayne was of the opinion that he had enough already.

In 1905, the Darwiishes were increasingly assertive and were in the mood to punish any dissent against the liberation struggle. Majeerteen were attacked in Mudug when it was felt that they were dilatory in their support for the Daraawiish. In the north a breakaway sept of the Cali Geri was coming under pressure in Buuhoodle. Ismaaciil Mire was in the thick of the action and a detachment of Darwiishes under his command set off from the Xarun to Abqow, South of Eyl where the largest concentration of Darwiish ponies were being tended by the Sayid's brother Yuusuf Sheekh Cabdille.

Upon reaching Abqow, Ismaaciil Mire composed a poem addressed to Yuusuf Sheekh Cabdille spelling out his intentions for spreading Darwiish power in Mudug and to punish Suldaan Cali Yuusuf for his treachery in supporting the English by allowing General Manning to land at Hobyo during the 3rd English Expedition against the Darwiishes.

Taleex iyo Abqow, Yuusufow, waa tub kala dheere Todobaan ka soo dhaxay halkay tiil dariiqaduye Wixii aad tartiib igu ogayd tiicis baan ahaye Tan inaan fadhiistaana waa tacaddi diimeede Wax Jahaadku taawinahayaa tan iyo Ceelhuure Tiirkii Hobyood waa la gubi taan niyaysnahaye Abtow Togayar ii qabo adaan kuu tawaawacaye

Translation

Taleex and Abqow are separated by some distance Seven days have I travelled from the land of the Tariiqa The slow gait you see is from the wearying journey But rest and relaxation would be an outrage against the Faith The Jihaad will reach Ceelhuur without Delay The Edifice at Hobyo will burn, as is my Intention Give me Togayar, My nephew I beseech. (Togayar, an infertile mare known for her speed)

In the middle of the year The darwiishes attacked the Majeerteen loyal to Cali Yuusuf at Xinduugan. The Majeerteen received warning of the impending Darwiish assault and drove their Camel herds south. When the Darwiish army came, there was no stock to loot and no army to engage. Ismaaciil Mire was disappointed and composed a playful poem about the incident where they ended up with a few fat-rumped sheep to cook for themselves!

Shilinkii Xinduugan haddaan shalay Jihaad geeyey Shigta weerar guutadu hadday sheed walba u qaadday Shaaruflaha Majeerteen hadday shidatay reerkiisa Horweyn lagama soo shubo gunaan shucub u foofayne Anoo shiiday baan helay wankii shirixa weynaaye Shiilliinka ii keen Ilaah waw shukriyayaaye Nin shahiida baa loo ogaa inuu shaf goostaaye Nimcadaan Shareecada ku helay yaan ka shaabacaye

Ismaaciil Mire had occassion to wage war on another Majeerteen King, this time the Sultanate of Boqor Cismaan that was based in Boosaaso and whose relations with the Daraawiish were always fraught. in late 1915 the Cismaan Maxamuud looted a large and valuable stock from the Daraawiish(Miinanle) which caused consternation in the Darwiish camp. Ismaaciil Mire was put in charge of a Darwiish force tasked with recovering the stock with the proviso that they should set out on foot. The reasoning behind this was that the Majeerteen land was barren and without much natural cover. As a result a mounted force would be very conspicuous. Ismaaciil Mire rejected this rationale and argued that if the Darwiish horses were not away for grazing to Xaysimo the Miinanle stock would not have been lost. He explains the necessity for the speed and mobility provided by ponies. He composed this poem:

Xayow aabbahay baa i baray Xamar aan fuulaaye Xiis baan ku meel mari jiriyo Xaya darmaaneede Farduu Xaysimay naga jireen Xula dhaceediiye Sengeyaasha xoogga leh haddii lagu xambaareeyo Xadataa ma dhaafteen hashuu xaday Majeerteene Lugi inay Xadaafiir tahaan soo xaqiiqsadaye Welina Eebbahay iguma xadin laba xagaafoode

Translation

My father taught me to ride a Bay horse I rode Xiis and Xaya, the choice of Mounts The Horses were away, when they took Xula If these powerful Stallions were nearby The she-camel stolen by the thieving Majeerteen Would not have gone very far from us I know how taxing foot travel can be But mercifulAllah has never obliged me Ever to slog on a wearying foot travel

Ismaaciil and his force set out on their horses and were successful in recovering some of the looted stock.

By far one of the greatest successes of the Darwiish Armies was the conquest of the strategic Hiiraan region. In 1912 the Daraawiish received intelligence that the Italians were gradually expanding their presence in southern Somalia with the intent to capture Hiiraan, an area that was hitherto free from colonial influence. Their forward positions were as far afield as Mahaday. This was alarming news to the Daraawiish. Sayid Maxamed dispatched an army of 900 men commanded by Xaaji Maxamuud Macalin "Cagadhiig" towards Doh and Ceelgaab. Their instructions were to link up with the Darwiish forces based there under the command of the Sayid's brother Khaliif Sheekh Cabdille and proceed to Hiiraan with the aim of establishing Darwiish presence in Beledweyne, including the building of forts.

When the force reached Hiiraan they set up a bivouac at Qollad near Beledweyne. They started sending many messages and delegations to the Xawaadle inhabitants of the land urging them to join the holy Darwiish army and take their part in the liberation struggle for Somalia. The Xawaadle sent messages to the Daraawiish that they will not countenance Darwiish presence in Hiiraan. They were implacable in their stance despite many attempts by the Daraawiish to convince them of the danger posed by the Italians and the need for unity in opposing the colonial machinations. At long last, when it became evident that the Xawaadle were in no mood for compromise the Daraawiish decided that an all-out war to subdue the Xawaadle was inevitable. The Xawaadle were in bullish mood and confident that they could defend themselves from the Daraawiish. They had an able leader named Nimcade Dacaar who led a force named Hormadiid. In 1913, Daraawiish attacked the Xawaadle and routed them and captured the entire herds of the Xawaadle and Hiiraan was finally pacified and brought under the Darwiish Banner.

The Daraawiish built a base for themselves in Beledweyne. Immediately work began on a fort to defend the Darwiish realm in Hiiraan, designed and built by a man named Cali Jalax. Darwiish hero Xaaji Maxamuud Macalin "Cagadhiig", of the Cabdi Garaad(Qayaad), Dhulbahante, was named Commander of the Darwiish armies in Hiiraan.

This was a worrying development for the Italians and they reinforced their positions in Mahaday, fearful of a southern advance by the Daraawiish. They also established new positions in Tiyeeglow and Buqcaqable to safeguard their southern dominions. At the same time they held urgent talks with Suldaan Cali Yuusuf of the Majeerteen Mudug kingdom. It was agreed that Hobyo and the Italians should present a united front against the Daraawiish. They also drafted in Boqor Olol Diinle, the hereditary King of the ancient Ajuuraan dynastic lineage. These three powerful forces were yoked together in an unholy struggle against the Holy Daraawiish Warriors who were fighting for the liberation of Somalia.

On March 3, 1915, The triumvirate began their advance on Beledweyne from 6 directions: 1. The Italians advancing from:

a. Buuloburde b. Buqcaqable c. Tiyeeglow

2. Suldaan Cali Yuusuf provided 2 armies under the overall command of his legendary General, Godogodo. The armies were to advance from:

a. Mudug b. Ceelbuur

3. Boqor Olol Diinle leading an Ajuuraan army coming out of Qallaafe.

In a siege that lasted three and a half days amid heavy bombardment, the Darwiish forts did not suffer any major damage and when one of the heavy Italian cannons was knocked out, the attacking forces became demoralized and went into headlong flight.

Ismaaciil Mire was on an inspection and fact-finding mission to Beledweyne and delayed his departure when he received news of the impending battle. He took part in the defence of the forts and immortalized the battle in a Geeraar that he composed for Xaaji Khaliif Cabdille at Qalqallooc Darwiish base, which at the time was under Khaliif's command. It served as a comprehensive report of the battle situation and the identities of the various lineages and nations involved in the encounter:

War ninkii iga dooniyow Anoo Doollo u jeeda Deleb heensaha saaroo Gooruu waagu dillaacay Daraawiish ballamayna Adduun saad ka damcaysiyo Damdambaysi ma yeeshee Waa dawaara sideede Durba weerar na taabay Maajoor doora qudhmuuniyo Doofaartii Raxanweyniyo Majeerteen dunjigiis Daacufleey askareediyo Ina Diinle dhashiisa Dulmi noogu heshiiyoo Duulba maalin na beegay Beryey Deex Ololaysay Dundunku u rognaayoo Candhadii dubayowdoo Daaqsin ayan u foofinoo Rasaastii dam lahayd Dagaal baan kula roorayoo Baqihii ay dillaameen Dabkii aanu ka reebnay Derbibaan ku masaalloo Daarahaanu rasaynayoo Daayimow mahadaa bay Daraawiishi lahaydeeeeey

Translation

Those of you who want news As I was headed back to Doollo Having saddled my horse At the break of the dawn Conferring with my Daraawiish But my best laid plans Upset by life's changing fortunes We were suddenly attacked The filthy Italian Major And the Porcine Raxanweyn And a kind of Majeerteen And the weak Askaris And the followers of Ina Diinle United in wickedness and treachery Each attacked us in turn Many days passed, before the penned camels grazed confined by the din of battle We rushed at them with courage And they ran in headlong flight The arms they left behind Were as high as a wall We filled our forts with them O Eternal one, God It is you we thank For this great victory

After this historic triumph the Daraawiish expanded in Southern Somalia and Italy was forced to backpedal and abandon its plans to move into the Upper Shabeele Valleys. The Darwiishes consolidated their victory and solidified their hold on Hiiraan by building two new forts, Aammin and Laba Mataanood. They sent powerful raiding armies into Tiyeeglow and Baydhabo against the Italians and their supporters. They also harried the enemy as far south as Aw Dheegle and Ceel Garas. After the Beledweyne debacle the Italians never mounted an offensive against the Daraawiish. Ever afterwards it was the Daraawiish who were on the front foot attacking the Italians or their interests, while the colonials were ever on the defensive.

In our next installment of the history of Mujaahid Ismaaciil Mire, we will recount the destruction of the Camel Corps and the death of Richard Corfield as well as the attack on Berbera.

History OF Darwiish Ismaaciil Mire, part 3

In 1910 the colonial authorities in British Somaliland protectorate adopted a policy of coastal concentration after their lack of success in subduing the Darwiish movement. Realizing that this policy would be expose their protected tribes and put them at the mercy of the Daraawiish they decided to arm the civilian population of the protectorate. This move led to an "appalling internecine warfare" among the tribes friendly to the British as they began settling old scores with the modern arms and ammunition that they received from the English. A British official conceded that he could "could not see any good in concealing the fact that during this period, it is estimated that about one-third of the male population of the friendly tribes of this Protectorate was exterminated in inter-tribal fighting. We can see how the rash actions and lack of foresight of the British led to this holocaust. By the end of the 1912 the Protectorate administration took steps to change this situation by creating a mobile force mounted on Camels and Horses named the Camel Constabulary. It was headed by Mr. Richard Corfield, a man of considerable political and military experience in the Somali theatre. From November 1912 to March 1913 the force met with great success in restoring order but at the cost of losing the confidence of some friendly tribes because of the harsh methods of Collective Punishment that he adopted. There is a story of a man named Ina Weysaxume, a victim of Corfield's injustice, who composed a maledictory poem wishing the death of Corfield for his unjust ways and the suffering, poverty and misery that he brought on the poet's family:

Sayidkoo wax galay raacdadoo la isku soo gaadhay Adiga iyo gubniga aad wadaa goobataal noqoye Girligaanku kaa joogsay oo guuxa kaa damiye Ku googooste nimankii kufriga gaajaduu qabaye Afkuna "gaw" ku yidhi xaajadaad gees u badisaaye Guga ha gaadhin adigaa reer tolkay gaajadaa badaye

Translation

The Sayid on the warpath, on the trail of his enemies May the your corpse and those of your soldiers litter the field May your heavy guns break apart and fall silent May you be torn apart by the men who thirst for infidel blood May you not reach the springtime in safety For you have misery and pain on my kinfolk

Corfield's mounted Constabulary became as feared as the Darwiishes and order among the friendly tribes was restored. The incident that cost him his life however began with an aggression against a darwiish caravan without escorts.

The caravan was sent by Khaliif Sheekh Cabdille from the Qorraxey fort and it was bringing necessary supplies of arms, ammunition and clothing to the Darwiish forts.The caravan was intercepted near Beer by a force that was sent from Burco, heavily armed, led by a man named Axmed Ilkacase and they managed to loot the Caravan. When news reached the Xarun of this terrible disaster the Sayid personally took charge in mobilizing a force. Every member of the qusuusi was ordered to open his arsenal and hand over the last bullet to retrieve the Darwiish caravan and punish the people who attacked the Daraawiish.

A force of 1000 men was readied comprising of members of 5 Darwiish divisions: Shiikhyaale, Golweyn, Taargooye, Miinanle and Ragxun, all of them under the overall command of Yuusuf Sheekh Cabdille. Ismaaciil Mire was commanding the elite Shiikhyaale division, exclusively Dhulbahanante(Cali Geri, Baharasame, Qayaad and Xasan Ugaas).The Daraawiish recovered much of the goods that were in the caravan and they also looted a very large stock from the various settlements tp whom the caravan raiders belonged. On 6, August 1913 the British received alarming reports of heavy Darwiish activity between Idoweyne and Burco, their operations extending to within 3 or 4 miles of Beer. Deputy Commissioner of Somaliland Protectorate Geoffrey Archer was in Burco, coincidentally, at the time and was surprised by the extraordinary Darwiish attack. He may have suspected, even though he did not write so, that he was the primary object of the Darwiish attack:

"Upon that very morning I had been listening in durbar for four hours to the representations of the friendlies - representations to the effect that, unless Government would come to their assistance and protect them with an adequate force, their annihilation at the hands of the Darvishes would be complete within a year or two. I admit therefore, that at first I was sceptical as to the imminence of danger represented as pressing at 1:30pm of the same day. The dervishes had not attacked the locality in force for two years; and that they should have selected this very time, when I happened to be present, to arrive on the scene, from the Haroun (Xarun), 170 miles distant as the crow flies, --and I need scarcely say that we can get no reliable information, of course, of dervish intentions in advance --appeared to me to be too extraordinary a coincidence to be credited. However, after a discussion on the situation with Mr Corfield, I adopted the view that some action was obviously indicated, even though I still regarded the information as likely to be without foundation in fact, and supplied by their friendlies merely to impress me with the extreme seriousness of their plight. I, accordingly, ordered a strong reconnaissance by the Camel Corps in the direction of Beer to ascertain the facts, and instructed Captain G.H. Summers, Indian Contingent, to accompany the force with a view to forming his own conclusions and advising me later on the military situation before I decided on future action."

Despite his scepticism when discounting the reports of Darwiish activity, Deputy Commisioner Archer did not take chances with his life and immediately retired to Sheekh, seeking safety in distance. The Darwiishes after the death of Corfield were singing songs that included lines alluding to the cowardice of Archer after he fled from the theatre:

Markaan Koofil coobigii jaray miyaa kufrigii calaacalay Markaan Caarshe weeraray miyuu baqa Ceeri kala dhacay markaan ku callaqay rasaastii miyuu habas candhaaqsaday

The Camel Constabulary set out of Burco at 3 pm on the 8 of August led by Corfield, Assisted by Captain Dunn and Captain G. H. Summers with 116 soldiers. Corfield had intelligence that the Darwiish forces were bivouacked at Ulasan 30 miles southeast of Burco and proceeded in that direction. On their approach the Camel Constabulary could hear some shots fired and the dervish fires illuminating the night sky. Friendlies who reconnoitred the Darwiish forces estimated its strength at 2000 riflemen, with 150 horse. The numbers may be unreliable. Now let us take a look at some passages from the Ismaaciil Mire's Poem on the "Death of Corfield":

Habeenkii fardaha waw tudhnaye taag ku sii miranay Tun biciida lagu qoofalyow xamashka loo taabay Talaaduhu markii ay dhaceen telelay oo reemay Tixda gabay markii aan akhriyay toose niman jiifay Tiraabkaygu meeshii uu ka baxay la isku soo tuumi Salaadii markii aan tukaday yaarka kaga teednay Togga Ulasameed dooyadii horay u tuuryaynay Intay timacad noo soo arkeen marada noo taage

Translation

Mindful of our horses we pastured them at night Gently we hobbled them, and let them eat lush fronds When the Triplet Stars began to set I stirred and Sang And when I chanted my poem, the sleeping awoke Gathering around the place where my voice sounded And when I said the Dawn prayer, we saddled for the march By the Ulasameed rivulet I sent out the scouts

The die was cast and an engagement between the British and the Darwiish Mujaahids became inevitable. The British high command did not wish to engage the Darwiishes but Corfield was a rash man and disregarded his orders. Archer later wrote that Corfield disregarded express orders not to engage the enemy:

"My standing orders communicated to you as an enclosure to my secret despatch of the 23rd of June, and duly approved by your despatch of the 18 of July, gave, as you are aware, no discretionary powers whatsoever, in the matter of engaging the dervishes, or even proceeding on these extended patrols;"

It was fated that the two forces would meet and on 9th of August at 5 30 am Corfield and his men left Dharkaynle and proceeded to Magaalayar to cut off the Darwiishes. At 6 45 am the Darwiishes, having earlier spotted the British movements, 'severely attacked' the Constabulary and the attack continued for the next five hours. Archer wrote:

"At 7:15 am Mr Corfield, fighting gallantly was shot through the head and died instantly. The bodies of his interpreter Xaaji Jaamac Geelle, a well-known and loyal servant of this protectorate, and his two personal servants were found during the action lying close beside him."

The Darwiish forces, realizing the automatic fire of the British Maxim gun posed the greatest danger to themselves, made the gun's destruction a priority. As a result the Maxim gun was put out of action by the Daraawiish from the outset. It was later reported that the Maxim position drew heavy darwiish fire and was put out of action by Darwiish shooting after firing little more than three belts. Of the five-man team serving the gun, one man was killed and three were wounded. Having achieved that initial objective the Darwiishes wanted to capture it and began moving in on the position. On one occasion hand-to-hand fighting ensued and a darwiish was shot by Captain Summers, actually within the british stronghold.

The Darwiishes were intent on annihilating the small force and capturing their heavy guns but the British force fought tenaciously in their strongholds and around midday the Darwiish force ran out of ammunition and decided to retire with their looted stock before finishing their adversaries.

At 3:30 pm, Mr Dunn, the only Englishman who was unscathed, started organizing the British retreat back to their garrison in Burco, after ascertaining that the Darwiishes had drawn off.

Darwiish Ismaaciil Mire had this to say about the episode:

Sida teyse roob oo onkoday tininigtii yeedhay Girligaanka meeshuu tarquday lagu tunsii geela Tirsan mayno uunkii tirmiyo tulushle Iidoore Turjubaanadii iyo halkaa Koofil lagu toogay

Translation

We rumbled into battle roaring like thunder Our camels trampled where he held the Maxim gun The dead littered the field including the toadying Iidoor There, Corfield and his interpreters were slain

The British casualties were 33 killed and 17 wounded. The official inquiry into the Dulmadoobe fiasco placed Darwiish casualties at 200. Prevost-Battersby claims 375. No one can be certain about Darwiish casualties but those inflated numbers were surely fabricated by the officers who blundered by taking the small force into action. The Daraawiish celebrated Ruuga, as they named the battle, as a massive victory that destroyed the meddling Camel Constabulary and avenged the men who were killed when the Darwiish caravan was looted.

Deputy Commissioner Archer lamented the fact that many of the tribes on the frontier were not more engaged in the Anti-Darwiish efforts of the British by fighting proactively against them. The Darwiish attack on the friendly tribes that precipitated the engagement had reduced the hardline anti-Darwiish tribes at the sharp end of the frontier to destitution after the looting of a stock conservatively estimated at: 6000 Camels, 20,000-30,000 sheep. The looted tribes were:

Habar Yoonis, Muuse Ismaaciil Dhulbahante, Barkad, Reer Hagar and Khaalid Habar Jeclo, Reer Yuusuf.

About 300 members of those tribes rode along with Corfield and the Camel Constabulary in a bid to recover their looted stock but they melted away at the start of the fight.

The Daraawiish consolidated this victory by expanding their influence into Togdheer by building 3 forts at the Shimbibiris Wells that are strategically located and protected by commanding heights on all sides. That left a strong Darwiish force only 28 miles from the largest British Garrison in the area, Burco. Shimbibiris was supplied from the coast, 160 miles north.

This proved unacceptable to the British and a year later, 17, November 1914, the British mounted an expedition to destroy Shimbibiris. The Daraawiish received intelligence of the impending attack and sent their herds easwards and prepared for battle. After an 11 hour battle the British withdrew after failing to dent the impregnable defenses of the forts. A new plan was developed by the British calling for the destruction of the fort using explosive charges at the base of the forts instead of bombardment. In February, 1915 the British finally succeeded in dislodging the Darwiish forces from Shimbibiris using the the explosives. All the Darwiishes inside perished fighting valiantly to the last man. They punctuated every volley from their rifles with the chant: gaalo qudhunley, qiiq ma kaa karay.

The destruction of the fort and the death of the glorious Darwiish mujaahids who perished in its defense was a shocking development that filled the Daraawiish movement with anguish and sorrow. They turned their grief into action and they immediately started organizing a small elite force to attack Berbera in order to strike a blow against British rule of Somalia by attacking the very heart of their authority. At all events to strike chaos and fear into the British and the inhabitants of Berbera with the message that they could not feel safe anywhere.

40 Cavalrymen were selected for this mission headed by Darwiish Xaaji Mursal Aw Saacid with Ismaaciil Mire as the second in command of the assault. In early March, 1915, the group of forty Darwiishes set off for Berbera guided by Mujaahid Seeraar Shawe who had specialized knowledge of the terrain and on 8 March they reached Cillaan Bidoole where they set up a bivouac, getting some rest and watering their horses. They left the plains behind safely without being spotted and reached the cover of the mountains. It was here that they found their passage blocked by a British garrison that was guarding the mountain passes. This development caused great trepidation among the Darwiishes and some of them even counseled that the mission should be aborted. Ismaaciil Mire was dismayed by this and he managed to change their minds by stiffening their resolve and reminding them of the rightness of their ultimate cause; and their obligation to endure its pangs and toils. He also suggested a practical way, short of frontal assault, to solve their dillema. It was agreed that they should use the cover of night travel to elude the English sentries and in this they were succesful. He composed the following poem for the occasion:

Nin wahsaday Wacaysow ma helo war iyo liibaane Nimankaa wadada jiifsadee laga wayiigaayo Ee siday wax dilayaan qalbigu inaka waansheeyey Walaahaan ku dhaartaye naagahaa igala waawayne Waddadaan ku diifaynayaa walahsayow Boode Walaabiga dhashiisaa fardaha loo wanaagsadaye Waagoo guduudtaa Berbera lagu wadhaayaaye Rabbi wuxu ka qaybshaba wallee wegeredkuu jiiday

Translation

O' Wacays, an indolent man receives neither blessing and nor increase The men who are on the road who have filled us with dread And who have unsettled our spirit as if they were conquering lions I will swear by Allah that women are more formidable than they I shall set Bood(his horse) on the warpath, towards Glory It was bred to kill the Children of Filth At daybreak will their corpses litter Berbera Whatever portion Allah has decreed for us I shall tighten the girth-strap on my Stallion

On the afternoon of 13 March, 1915 the 40 Darwiish Horsemen furiously rode into town shooting in all directions and destroying property. One of the casualties that day was a citizen of Berbera who used to boast that the Darwiishes will only discomfit those people who choose to herd camels in the interior of the country. He composed a comical poem to emphasize that point which ran this way:

Ninkii Teeyo dhaqay baa darwiish kala tegaayaaye Haddaan tiro riyaa leeyahaan tuulada ag joogo Ma tunkay i soo qaban haddaan Timirlahaa dhaafin

Translation

A man who raises camels will lose it to the Darwiishmen If I herd a small number of goats and hew to the town How will they reach me If I never stray past that date tree?

This hapless man was one of the people who died that day at Berbera. This assault caused consternation among the British authorities and it necessitated the withdrawal of all non-essential personnel from Berbera.

We will take up our story next time at the denouement of the Darwiish struggle and continue onto the story of the murder of Jaamac Cali Nuur.

History OF Darwiish Ismaaciil Mire,Part 4

In the middle of year 1918 Sayid Maxamed moved the Darwiish headquarters from Taleex to Sanaag. It was felt necessary that the Daraawiish should have bases close to the Maakhir Coast in order to facilitate their access to the sea for trade and re-armament purposes. As well, the Darwiishes were under immense pressure with constant raiding, ambushes and looting from the Gadhcas Majeerteen, ruled by Boqor Cismaan, their king based in Boosaaso. Boqor Cismaan was heavily armed by the Italians and was under instructions from them to make life difficult for the Daraawiish in Nugaal region. Sayid Maxamed gathered his senior Qusuusi counselors and many alternatives were broached. Some advised a move towards the Riverine areas of the south and join the Darwiish forces already based there Hiiraan and Qalqallooc. Others counselled a retreat to Illig and Eyl on the Indian ocean, formerly the Darwiish headquarters. But the Sayid plumbed for Sanaag citing the above-mentioned reasons and it would turn out to be a fateful decision.

The Daraawiish already had 4 forts in the region(Jiidali, Surad, Badhan and Gal-baribuur) and the initial plan was to use Jiidali as the Darwiish headquarters. Jiidali was a well-built fort that served the Daraawiish very well over the years. The Darwiishmen used to sing:

Haddaan jiq ka siiyo Jiidaliyeey Xaggee kufri joogsan doonaa eey

Libaax laba jeeni dhiig ku lehoo Badweyn ka jibaaday baan ahay!

Translation

Now that I have built Jiidali fort The Infidels will never have rest

Like a lion, red in tooth and claw From Badweyn, we roar like thunder

Be that as it may, it was decided that Jiidali lay exposed in in the plains and a new fort was commissioned to be built in Midhishi, next to streams nestled inside two mountains. The Daraawiish came to Sanaag with vast ambitions after the movement hit the doldrums ever since the destruction of the Shimbibiris fort. The destruction of that fort, despite the heroic resistance of its defenders, was a great blow to the morale of the Daraawiish. Colonel(Later General Lord) Ismay who was part of the British force that destroyed the fort was mightily impressed with the quality of the Daraawiish fighters who defended the fort. In his memoirs published in 1960, he wrote, “All our efforts to dig out the defenders were in vain. I was sorry they had fought well.” Sanaag was intended to renew the movement and great initiatives were proposed to bring that about. The Darwiish fort at Galbaribuur was intended to be the link to Arabia and preparations were made to cut large amount of timber to construct dhows to carry Darwiish trade from Maydh and Xiis.

However there were were also many conspiracies afoot and there were fissures within the movement. There was barely concealed hatred and loathing between the leading members of the Darwiish leadership on each side of the Sayid's lineage(Maternal and Paternal). It is narrated that Oogle Seed Magan proposed the following three points to the Sayid. He later used to boast that his proposal was a deliberate plan to undermine the Darwiish movement and lead to its destruction:

1. Cutting off all contacts and travel between Berbera and all Darwiish bases. 2. The discontinuation of all farming that was carried out by Daraawiish. 3. Raising doubts about the loyalty of Caamir Sheekh Xasan (Cagoole), the Sayid's uncle. Oogle Seed argued that Caamir had designs on Darwiish leadership at the expense of the Sayid.

His advise was followed and all Darwiish contacts with the English-held areas ceased. Caamir Cagoole was marginalized and his wise and fearless counsel was lost to the Daraawiish. Both had a large impact on the outcome of the final Darwiish-English confrontation because the lack of Darwiish intelligence on British intentions and war plans exacerbated the psychological damage inflicted by the appearance of the British Air Force over Darwiish areas.

21 January, 1920 saw the attack on Galbaribuur and Midishi fort by the British from the air and the ground. Douglas Jardine writing in his book was full of admiration for the defenders of Galbaribuur describing them as the "bravest of the brave" and the English did not capture the fort until the last defender expired in service to his country and faith. Midhishi was under constant bombardment for 3 days and it is said that 30 people died there including the discredited Caamir Cagoole, the Sayid's uncle and Mujaahid Afqarshe(Aadan Naalleeye).

The appearance of the British airplanes created chaos and confusion far exceeding the actual military damage effected by the bombs they were dropping. Darwiish leadership came to the conclusion to withdraw eastwards back to the Taleex fort which was by far the biggest of all Darwiish strongholds. Many of the leading Dhulbahante personalities counselled that they should separate from the movement and in order to save the tribe, under pressure from British reprisals, and its livestock that they should head for the deep Hawd. Thousands of Dhulbahante perished in the aftermath of the British operations with thousands more children who were orphaned dying of neglect or being kidnapped by the enemy.

A Group of Dhulbahante leaders headed by Ismaaciil Mire and which included Xirsi Jeedlade, Xirsi Cartan Boos, Ducaale Ileeye left Midhishi on the 24th of January headed towards the Hawd. Unfortunately they ran into a British force led by Colonel Ismay who detained them. When the British recognized that they had captured the Legendary Darwiish Mujaahid Ismaaciil Mirel he was immediately transferred in custody to Berbera suffering great ill-treatment for such a distinguished prisoner.

He was brough before a British magistrate to state his case but he kept looking at the floor silently even when spoken to. The Isaaq interpreters told the Darwiish to look up and regard the British magistrate fully in the face. Darwiish Ismaaciil said:

"SAYID MAXAMED JAAHAAN KU DEYEY, GAAL KU DHUGAN MAAYO"

"The face that beheld The Sayid shall not look upon an infidel"

The Isaaq interpreters were greatly panicked by this show of defiance and, trembling with fear, told him to speak up and address the magistrate as SAHIB, a degrading, deferential form of address used by the Somalis who worked with the colonialists, to address the British.

The Somalis have a saying "haddaad dhimanayso dhareerka waa layska duwaa" and the English believe "in defeat, defiance". So the Englishman was aware of Darwiish Ismaaciil's intent when the Darwiish said:

"SAYIDII AFKII AAN KU IDHI 'SAHIB' KU ODHAN MAAYO"

"The Tongue that uttered Sayidii will not say Sahib"

When they asked him to clarify whether other prisoners were affiliated with the dervishes or not Darwiish Ismaaciil replied:

"Daraawiish ninkii soo ambaday eed ka geli maayo"

"A stray Darwiish will not be denounced by me"

Although he was sentenced to death in abstentia in 1915 for his role in the raid on Berbera, Darwiish Ismaaciil was released after 18 months when the Darwiish movement was conclusively destroyed. The British had no intention of martyring him. Upon his release Ismaaciil Mire retired to the Dhulbahante country where he dispensed his wisdom and the history of the Darwiish struggle. He recalled in one poignant poem, addressed to his friend and relative Jaamac Cali Nuur, the bitterness that accompanied his arrest at Badweyn, bereft of the Dhulbahante who sought refuge in the Deep Hawd from the vengeful British::

Diyaarado qablami maalintii lay dul marinaayay Darmaan xoodan maantaan Badweyn duhurka soo taagay Habraha duubmay iyo maalintuu doqonku ii baanay Dadkii Cayn fadhiyay maalintaan dooc ka garan waayay Kun dirays gashani maalintay damacday dhiigayga

Translation

When flying airplanes were roaring over my head Reaching Badweyn on the back of an emaciated colt When old women and fools were exultant at my plight When the people of Cayn were unrecognizable to me A thousand in battle dress were craving my blood

A few short years after the defeat of the Daraawiish, Ismaaciil Mire was travelling with his confidant and great friend Xaaji Maxamed Cawl when they came upon a solitary settlement. An old lady recognized Ismaaciil and lamented that all her children were killed by Ismaaciil and his daraawiish and all her livestock looted by them. Mindful and aware of the destruction that was wrought upon the land by the holy anti-colonial struggle, and unwilling to shoulder the entire blame for the horrors that took place, a pained Ismaacil Mire composed the following poem that night:

Gumburo iyo cagaarweyne iyo geedkii Daratoole, Goobtii Jidbaaliyo Xargaga guuldarradii joogtay, Gembigii ka dhacay Ruuga iyo gudurigii haagay, Gabooddeeda Beerdhiga wixii la isku gooraamay, Maydkii gabraday seerigay Good ku tumanaysay, Gawarkaad maraysaba laftaad galayaxaa mooddo, Ogaadeenka gaanka ah wixii geydho laga qaaday, Iiddoor cayuun godan wixii gelin la waydaarshay, Shirshooraha gudbani cayr wuxuu gorof la meeraystay, Garcas iyo Majeerteen wixii guuyo laga dhaarshay, Gob ninkii ahaan jirey wuxuu gibil madoobaadey, Giddigiis naflaa'iga wixii gobolba meel aaday Gumburo and Cagaarweyne and the Daratoole tree

Translation

At the battle of Jidbaale and the disaster that was Xargaga The horrors of Ruuga and the satiated vultures Beerdhiga, were blame and denunciations were rife The corpses that littered the fields hitherto grazed by camels Everywhere bones protruding from decaying bodies The proud Ogaadeen who lost all their livestock The Iidoor, numberless camels lost in half a day The whole of Shirshoore reduced to poverty Gadhcas and Majeerteen, forbidden to own camels The face of every nobleman, darkened by impotent rage All creatures scattered to the four winds by conflict

He begs the old lady, for the sake of her eternal soul, not to put this heavy and intolerable burden on his shoulders alone.

In the early thirties, the British commissioned a group to gather intelligence on the surviving Darwiish generals. They found and compiled reports on the activities of many Darwiish elders such as Ismaaciil Mire, Seeraar Shawe, Xirsi Cartan Boos (all Dhulbahante), Aw Yuusuf Dheere (Ogaadeen, Bah Geri) and Nuur Xaashi (Warsangeli). All of them were leading peaceful lives as village or town elders and British took no further interest in their activities.

But circumstances forced Ismaaciil Mire prominently back into the picture when 3 years later his old friend and beloved cousin Jaamac Cali Nuur was cold-bloodedly murdered at Xargaga by a force of British Illaaloes. Ismaaciil Mire mounted a campaign that eventually ended with the killing of Jaamac Cali Nuur's assassin and that also saw Ismaaciil Mire taken once more to the Mandheera jail; for incitement to violence.

We will take up that story in our next installment of the Ismaaciil Mire history.

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