HOW WILL BE SOMALIA IN THE FUTURE, PROFF, MOHAMED HAJI MUKHTAR

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AZANIA: LAND PEOPLE AND HISTORY By: Mohamed Haji Mukhtar Professor of African and Middle Eastern History Savannah State University Savannah Georgia, U.S.

Azaniais a name given by ancientGreeksto a region in the Horn of Africa extending fromDjiboutito Northern coast ofTanzania.

Later Ptolemaic seafarers defined as the region stretching from port of Adulis in Eritrea today across the straits of BabAl-Mandabto Cape Guardafui then to Cape Agulhas today's Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.This region includes the hinterlands of most of modern Somalia.

However, it is believed that ancient Egyptians called the North and Northeastern part of the Horn as the Land of Punt and the south and southwestern part asAzania.In other wardsAzaniawould cover what is today's CentralSomalia, Ethiopia'sHararProvince, theRiverineregions of SouthernSomalia,and Northern Province ofKenya.

PEOPLES OF AZANIA

The inhabitants of Azania are the Reewin or Reewing, sometimes transcribed as"Rahanweyn," "Rahanwein,"or"Reewung".They are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Horn of Africa. The majority of theReewingpractice some form of agro-pastoralism (mixed herding and farming).

TheReewingare divided into two major clans, theDigiland theMirifle,who claim to be brothers and descendants ofMatorMad,historically known by the eponym MatReewing, Digilbeing the older son andMiriflebeing the younger.

TheDigilmainly inhabit the coastal regions and the adjacentHinterlands,whileMiriflelive in the central and southwestern parts of modernSomaliaandEthiopia.Significant group of them reside in NortheasternKenya.
TheMiriflefall into two main branches: theSagaal,or"nine,"and theSiyeed,or"eight."

The Sagaal are:

1.Lammy Gannaany"the two ofGannany,which is another name forJuba River,"and they are:

a)theGassara Gudy, b)and theGobawiing.

2.Lammy Eel Qody"the two from theQody well,"and they are:(a)theJilibly, (b)and theGeelidly.

3.Lammy Boroosily"the two of Boroosily,"which are:(a)theHadamy, ( b)and theLuway.

4.Lammy Dhahy"the two ofDhaahy," which are(a)theHubeer,(b)and theYantaar.

5.And theEyly "Eeyli"

TheSiyeedare:

1. Afar Reer Bay"the four ofBay," which are:(a)theMallyng Wiiny, (b)theReer Dumaal, (c)theJiroong,(d)and theGarwaaly.

2. Lammy Midoowy"thetwo darks," which are:(a)theHariing, (b)and theEelay.

3. Lammy Harqaang"the two ofHarqaang," which are:(a)theLaysaang, (b)and theHaraw.

TheDigilon the other hand are seven clans, known as todobaadi awDigil(the sevenDigil). They include:

4.Boqol Hore Which Are Disow, Emid Qomal And Yalale

5. Waanjal

6. Heledi

7. Ashraaf

(1)theGeledy, (2)theBogody,(3)theDabyrry,(4)theJiiddy,(5)theTunny, (6)theGarreorKarre,
(7)theReer Dafeed.

In addition, there are communities that have no ethnic affiliation with theDigilMiriflebut cohabited inAzaniafor centuries or millenniums.

These include the coastal people ofReer Hamar, Reer BarawaandBajuni. They are ofAfro-Asiaticmix,like theSwahilisof East Africa.

In addition, there are communities that have no ethnic affiliation with the but cohabited in for centuries or millenniums.

These include the coastal people of and They are of like the of East Africa.

Another group that do not fall under theDigilMirifle,but reside inAzaniaare theReer Goleed,sometimes calledJhereerorJareer(hard-hairs) who are descendents of East African slaves.

Since1991,this group is called theSomali Bantu.Moreover, there are low caste groups such as tummal, boong and moddy.

Azania'slocation, its fertile land and relative mild weather was favorable to attract migrants from within the Horn of Africa such asHawiyeandDaroodclans as well as peoples of Southern Arabia, Persia,

SoutheastAsiaandPolynesia i.e. Arabs, Iranians, IndiansandIndonesians.Finally, there are sheegat "adopted clans" assimilated in the nativeDigilMirifleclan.

NB. Waxaan dad weynaha ogeysiineynaa in goor dhow aan soo saari doono maqaalkan oo Af Soomaali ku tarjuman.

Qore: Proffessor Mohamed Haji Mukhtaar