Raas Ogaden: Kismayo's Former Name

[Waamo1]

http://www.islamicfinder.org/prayerDeta ... 8274&lang= (Raas Ogaden)

http://mapcarta.com/12452512 (Raas Ogaden)

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/ ... map_en.pdf (2010 map, zoom in near kismayo)


Kismayo, the southernmost coastal city in Somalia and the capital of Lower Juba province, was founded sometime during late 17th century making it relatively a young city compared to ancient Somali cities like Zaylac and Mogadishu. Little has been written about the city's history and how it got the name Kismayo because of Somalis reliance of oral traditional history, after all the Somali alphabet was written only in 1974. But it's generally believed that the city was founded by Bajunis, a Bantu tribe that mainly lives on Islands (Bajuni Islands) stretching from southern coast of Somalia to northern coast of Kenya. The Bajunis are part of the larger Swahili community, people residing on the coast of East Africa who have traded with the Persians and the Arabs for centuries. But despite what many people think, Kismayo was renamed after the Bajuni island of Kisimayu. The British historian and explorer C. Wright Haywood was the first person to write about how the city was renamed after the Island of Kismayu. The word Kisimayu is derived from the word kisiwa, which means Island in Swahili but because of Somalis phonetic mispronunciation of the word it became known as Kismayo. However; there is overwhelming evidence which suggests that the city's former name was Raas Ogaden but was later changed to Kismayo. The word Raas means cape in Somali and it consists of the first part of many coastal towns in Somalia such as Raas Caseyr, Raas Bargaal, Raas Hafuun and Raas Kambooni. The other part of the name, Ogaden, is the name of a Somali tribe and it was because of their opposition to colonial rule in the Horn Africa which prompted British colonialist to change the city's name from Raas Ogaden to Kisimayo. But after Somalia gained its independence from European colonialist, it did not change the city’s name back to Raas Ogaden nor revealed to the public such thing ever took place, not until now.

Kismayo is located in a region dubbed as Jubbaland by the British, area between the Juba River and the Tana River in the Horn of Africa. Ethnic Somalis settled this land in the 17th century, the later years of Somalis vs. Gala wars (12th through 19th century) in which Somalis expanded their territory tremendously in the Horn of Africa under the pretext of fighting nonbelievers (Gala), basically non-ethnic Somalis. Somalis land expansion in the Horn of African largely halted when European colonizers came to the region, where they found themselves facing much stronger opponent with better weapons that the weak tribes they accustom fighting with. Today, the current population of this region consists of many Somali tribes but Ogaden tribe make up the majority of it and were the backbone of Somalis conquest of Jubbaland. They live exclusively in major cities and towns in the region such as Afmadow, Bu'aale, Dhoobley, Badhaadhe and Garissa. They also live in Raas kamboni, Buur Gaabo and the largest city in the region, Kismayo. So it comes as no surprise that they might have founded the city of Kismayo, considering they are majority in the region and their arrival coincides with the city's formation, and perhaps named it Raas Ogaden.


But before setting out on capturing Jubbaland, Ogaden were part of a larger Somali group called Darood whose ancestors stem from Sanaag, a northern province in Somalia which has a long coastline facing the Gulf of Aden. They began moving interior into the Horn of Africa centuries ago as the group grew larger and needed more land. Although at first they were successful in acquiring much needed land, they later faced stiff competition from other Somali tribes who were now interested in their new land. So in an attempt to lay claim to their land and warn off other tribes, they came up with a simple but brilliant strategy of naming their land Ogaden, this way no one would dispute with them over a place that clearly bears their name. Today there are numerous places in the Horn of Africa that is named Ogaden or bear the name of Ogaden subclan, testimony of this strategy. The most famous of all is the Ogaden region of Ethiopia which is where most of them have lived before migrating for Jubbaland. Then there are the villages of Ceel Ogaden in Qorahey Province (Ogaden region) and Janaay Cabdalle (Cabdalle is Ogaden subclan) which is near Kismayo, just to mention few places. These are all well-known places in the Horn of Africa but there is a lesser known cape called Raas Ogaden on the coast of Somalia. On maps, it points to 10 km south of Kismayo but Ogaden historians have long argued that Raas Ogaden was Kismayo's former name.

However; in early 60s, the cape where Ogaden have long claimed to be the exact location where they name it Raas Ogaden when they first settle the area was connected to the Island of Kimayu so a port can be constructed for the growing city and its surrounding area. The dock of the port was constructed on the southern tip of the island in order for the city to have a deep sea port. The assumption was that the city is located on shallow ground and building the dock on the Island would compensate this but we now know that was an attempt to hide the city's history. The port could have been built north of the city, near Goobweyn, where the Juba River meets the Indian Ocean since this is not a shallow area and it could better serve the interior of the country as it was intended. Also the port construction ruined the most beautiful beach in Somalia, Calanley, and the only Island in close proximity to a big city in the entire country. But the port construction was a bigger blow to the city's history of ever learning whether Ogaden have settled the area first and named it Raas Ogaden because now Kismayu, the Island where the city got its name from, was physically connected to Kismayo, the city. Before the port was constructed, it was obvious to all that the city was renamed after the Island and not the other way around because the Island was mostly settled by Swahili speaking Bajunis and mainland was mostly Somalis who did not speak Swahili. So the name must have originated from the Island and after all who would name kisiwa (Island) a city located on mainland. But now that the city and the Island were fused into one, it led many to think that the city was always called Kismayo, oblivious to the fact that the city was renamed after an Island by the British who colonized the country.

Great Britain along with Italy colonized Somalia from the early 1800s to 1964. Ethnic Somalis for the most part resisted European rule of their land including Ogaden who fought them the fiercest. They not only fought with them in their ancestral land of Ogaden region under the leadership of Sayid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan, the leader of the Dervishes, but even in Jubbaland under the leadership of Abdirahman Mursal. Both men were Ogaden and the British struggled to put down their movements because they drew support from Ogaden tribe who settled throughout the Horn of Africa. So in order to weaken their movements and the tribe who supported them, the British divided Ogaden land between three countries: Somalia (kismayo region), Kenya (Northeastern province) and Ethiopia (Ogaden region) and this is well known fact in East Africa. So it should not surprise anyone that the British might have changed the name of a city from Raas Ogaden to Kismayo considering what they have done to this people and their land. Even the town of Afmadow was founded by Ogaden chief after the British expelled him and his people from Kismayo following a rebellion in the city some 160 years ago.

Unfortunately British war tactic against Ogaden tribe was never corrected by Somalia’s government when the country became independent but it actually kept their policy intact. Kismayo's historical names of Raas Ogaden was never revealed to the public nor even acknowledged its existence and the name eventually disappeared from history. Somalia's government even further renamed more Ogaden land inline with British war policy against Ogaden. They renamed Ogaden region of Ethiopia Somali Galbeed (Western Somalia) even though it was not even part of Somalia. They renamed Janaay Cabdalle Birta Dheer, which literally means the tall metal referring to the village's communication tower that was built in the 80s. But Ogaden refused their land to be renamed and continue to call it names they have calling it for centuries, except for Kismayo (Raas Ogaden) which was kept hidden from them and the rest of the country. But now that Somali has a new government, I would encourage them to correct past and start calling Kismayo by its former name of Raas Ogaden or at least use the names interchangeably, similar to how Mogadisho, Somalia’s capital is also called Xamar, in honor of the tribe who founded the city. If there is no harm in calling Mogadishu Xamar, why not call Kismayo Raas Ogaden?


waamohistory@yahoo.com

[guhad122]

Waamo1;
Thanks brother for the info! Can you re-post the .pdf file. I heard Raas Ogaadeen but never knew it was for Kismaayo.

I can't open the PDF file.

Thanks

[DANGIRL]

Thank you for sharing this info with us.


If you ever come across this sort of finding, you are more than welcome to share it with us.

[Murax]

Today its known as KisSADE

[Adali]

interesting finding, did you know Caabudwaaq was also named after the Ogaden tribe that use to inhabit that area before Marehan came and took over, Marehan use to settle in what is now Sool and Nugaal region which is now currently inhabited by Leelkase, Dhulbahante, Majerten and other Daroods.

Ogaden is a fantastic exploring clan, closely followed by Beesha Sade, please continue to share more.

[Murax]

interesting finding, did you know Caabudwaaq was also named after the Ogaden tribe that use to inhabit that area before Marehan came and took over, Marehan use to settle in what is now Sool and Nugaal region which is now currently inhabited by Leelkase, Dhulbahante, Majerten and other Daroods.

Ogaden is a fantastic exploring clan, closely followed by Beesha Sade, please continue to share more.

Never knew OG settled in Caabudwaaq.

[metamorphosis]

interesting I didnt know about this. Thanks for the information.

[metamorphosis]

interesting finding, did you know Caabudwaaq was also named after the Ogaden tribe that use to inhabit that area before Marehan came and took over, Marehan use to settle in what is now Sool and Nugaal region which is now currently inhabited by Leelkase, Dhulbahante, Majerten and other Daroods.

Ogaden is a fantastic exploring clan, closely followed by Beesha Sade, please continue to share more.

Never knew OG settled in Caabudwaaq.

It was settled by makaiils hence the name. We migrated further south to gedo and the jubbas.

[Colonel]

Ras Ogaden I like the sound of that
I shall now refer to the Holy City as Ras Ogaden Al Mukarramah

[grandpakhalif]

Today its known as KisSADE

[The`Republic]

Fake shit.

[Colonel]

Fake shit.

The evidence is against you, even the European parliament recognises the legitimacy of Ras Ogaden.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/ ... map_en.pdf
This only further enforces our monumental claim to the city.

[The`Republic]

First of all in none of the links posted is Raas Ogaden Kismaayo. If you look Ras Ogaadeen is always 50 km outside of Kismaayo. Also, how can an entire hypothesis be deduced from a simple locale name? There is not conjuncture that can be derived from the premise.

Even right now Ogadeen are NOT rer Kismaayo. They only bring milk sometimes from the southwestern side. I see the Kenyan balls are making you think differently than is reality.

[The`Republic]

I must say in that map Jubbaland State is truly awe-inspiring.

[AbdiWahab252]

Guhaad,

Good article !