The Abaskuul, Abasguul, Abasgul or Abaskul (Somali: Abasguul, Abaskuul. Arabic: ابسغول) is a Somali sub-clan of the Jidwaaq, Absame, Kumade, Kablalah, Darod line.[1] The Abaskuul mainly reside between Jigjiga and Degahbur in the Somali Region in Ethiopia,[1][2] but also have settlements in Jubaland (Somalia) and Kenya.[3] They share borders with the Ogaden, Bartire, and Habar Awal clans.[4] The Abaskuul were famously described in Richard Burton's First Footsteps in East Africa,[5] as well as 17 Trips to Somaliland and a Visit to Abyssinia by Captain Harald G. C. Swayne.[6]

Distribution

The Abaskuul clan makes up a significant portion of the Fafan and Middle-Juba valleys in Ethiopia's Somali Region and Somalia, respectively. Fafan is also generally regarded as the most densely populated region in the Somali Region, given that a large majority of the inhabitants are agro-pastoralists.[7] In addition to Jigjiga, the Abaskuul make the majority of inhabitants of the neighboring districts such as Mulla, Kebribeyah, and Araarso. In Somalia, the clan is mostly centered around Bu'aale and Naasiriya districts in Middle Juba, along with Bartire, whom they make up Jidwaaq together.[8]

There are also pockets of long-term Abaskuul settlements in Somaliland, particularly the Isse-subclan, in parts of Sool.[9] They lack representation in Somaliland. Skirmishes between the Abaskuul and the Fiqishinni in Adhicadeeye ended with government settlement.

The Abaskuul clan have many branches or subclans that include:

Notable figures

The Abaskuul clan have produced many notable figures, including:

References

  1. ^ a b Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld | Somalia: Information on the Abasguul subclan of the Darod, including their traditional and current location". Refworld. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  2. ^ Kefale, Asnake (2011). "Federal Restructuring in Ethiopia: Renegotiating Identity and Borders along the Oromo–Somali Ethnic Frontiers". Negotiating Statehood: Dynamics of Power and Domination in Africa. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. pp. 74–94. doi:10.1002/9781444395587.ch4. ISBN 978-1-4443-9558-7.
  3. ^ Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Refworld | Somalia: Information on the Jidwaaq subclan of the Darod and their traditional homelands". Refworld. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  4. ^ Hagmann, Tobias; Péclard, Didier (2011). Negotiating Statehood: Dynamics of Power and Domination in Africa. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. pp. 1–23. doi:10.1002/9781444395587.ch1. ISBN 978-1-4443-9558-7.
  5. ^ Burton, Richard (2011), "Plate section", First Footsteps in East Africa, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, doi:10.1017/cbo9781139004107.014, ISBN 9781139004107, retrieved 2021-12-22
  6. ^ Swayne, H. G. C. ;Russell E. Train Africana Collection (Smithsonian Libraries). "Seventeen trips through Somaliland and a visit to Abyssinia". library.si.edu. Retrieved 2021-12-22.((cite web)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Hall, A. E.; Cannell, G. H.; Lawton, H. W. (2012-12-06). Agriculture in Semi-Arid Environments. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-3-642-67328-3.
  8. ^ Conflict Early Warning Early Response Unit (CEWERU)
  9. ^ Jama, Hassan Ali (2005). Who Cares about Somalia: Hassan's Ordeal ; Reflections on a Nation's Future. Verlag Hans Schiler. ISBN 978-3-89930-075-8.
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