this what the british said about Marehan in Jubaland
Question by 'lord' Hindlip:
...Now, I will go for a moment to the other end of this frontier, to Jubaland, which I think was shortly touched upon by lord Stanhope this evening. Here you have another situation which is full of danger and which is causing, I understand, considerable anxiety. Again I would like to know what policy the Government are going to adopt. You have there a large and powerful tribe of fanatics, a branch of the Somalis called the Marehans. I understand that they are moderately well armed, and that they are warlike and live in a country which is sometimes well watered and sometimes waterless. I believe this tribe has been giving considerable trouble, and that orders have been given to disarm them. We have had trouble in the past on the Juba River in Jubaland on more than one occasion, and I cannot remember that our efforts on any particular occasion have met with very wonderful success. At the present moment I understand that practically every available man in Uganda and British East Africa has been sent up to the Marehan territory and that these two Protectorates are to all intents and purposes denuded of their troops. Thirdly, I would ask what instructions have been given to the military authorities in charge of this Marehan business? I believe that there was a collision between our troops and the Somalis there only a day or two ago. I saw an account yesterday in an evening paper and would ask the noble lord about it.
Answer by 'lord Emmott': Where was this?
Answer by 'lord' Hindlip:
I saw an account in an evening paper yesterday, telegraphed, I think, from the African World at Nairobi, that there had been a fight between the King's African Rifles under Major Soames and a section of the Marehan Somalis. The telegram stated that the Somalis had been surprised and lost about 120 men. I would ask the noble lord whether he will tell us what the Government's policy with regard to these Marehans is. Are they to be disarmed? If they resist disarmament, is there sufficient force to effectually cope with the resistance and to disarm them? And if not, what instructions have been given or will be given to the officers on the spot?
Answer by 'lord' Cranworth:
I turn to the other point raised by the noble lord, the expedition against the bastard tribe of Somalis called the Marehans. When I left East Africa some ten years ago there were left on the highlands the imposing force of 60 troops. These 60 men were there to protect some scattered white population in the middle of four million natives, who at all events were not unused to murder and pillage. I do not wish to press this point because I believe that as a matter of fact this populace is perfectly safe. I was certainly struck on my return home, as I think any one would have been, by the extraordinary contrast between the quietness and peace-fulness of the natives of British East Africa and the unrest and discontent and turbulence here.
Expeditions against the Marehans and these posts on the northern frontier are very expensive luxuries, and the cost falls, I think, directly, but I am certain indirectly, on the Protectorate of British East Africa. These people in the Protectorates have not only no votes but at the present moment have no representation of any sort or kind. I will not go into the question of why they have no representation, because they might 1186 have representation of a sort if they wished it; but the fact remains that they have no representation, and, as your lordships are aware, voteless people are apt to be suspicious and sometimes also violent. On these grounds I think it does behove His Majesty's Government to give the very fullest information in their power to the people of British East-Africa. There is an old proverb which says that the man who pays the piper should call the tune. I make no suggestion that these people should call the tune, but I do think it is a reasonable suggestion that they should be permitted to know for what they are paying.
