El Buur

Last updated

Ceel Buur (Somali : Ceelbuur) is a town located in the region of Galguduud in central Somalia.

Contents

Ceel Buur
Town
WV banner Central Somalia Ceel Buur panorama.jpg
Ceel Buur skyline
Somalia location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Ceel Buur
Location in Galmudug somalia.
Coordinates: 4°41′06″N46°37′03″E / 4.68500°N 46.61750°E / 4.68500; 46.61750
SomaliaFlag of Somalia.svg  Somalia
State Flag of Galmudug.svg  Galmudug
Region Galguduud
Population
 (2022)
  Total9,023
Time zone UTC+3 (EAT)

History

Ceel Buur has been inhabited since at least the 13th century. During the Ajuran Sultanate it served as a local commercial hub. [1]

The area is particularly noted as a center for quarrying. Here, meerschaum (sepiolite), was used to make the Somali people's trademark Dabqaad incense burner, is mined. [2] [3] [4] El Buur is also the site of the local pipe-making industry. [2]

During the early colonial era, Ceel Buur would form one of seven residencies of the Upper Shabelle region which included Balad, Villagio Duca Degli Abruzzi, Buloburti, Bugda, Bud-Bud and a Commissioner at Mahaddai. These had formed part of one of the four administrative regional divisions with seven residents each under southern Somalia called the Benadir colony. [5] It became the site of battles between rebels loyal to Sheikh Mohamed Farah Rage From hilibi Mohamed sub clan mursade and Sheikh Hassan Barsane and Italian troops. [6] In 1926 when the ceel Buur Zone was named the first district of the newly formed Mudug Region, Captain Franco Carolei, the appointed Italian governor, would be assassinated by a young Abdulle Irrobe, From abakar, Gelle Galaal of Habar idinle sub clan mursade and several rebel groups in a daring anti-colonial uprising. [7] [8]

It is traditionally inhabited by the Murusade and the Duduble subclans of the Hawiye.

In 1975, construction on CEEl Buur Airfield' would begin with the aid of technicians from the Soviet Union. [9]

Civil War

In 1990 a hospital was constructed in El Buur, but never became fully operational due to the civil war that began soon after. [10] On 23 July 1990, El Buur would be captured by the United Somali Congress (USC) and the town would become a base for the rebels. In November 1990, two Somali Air Force pilots would fly a Marchetti SF.260 and defect to the USC at the rebel base in El Buur. [11] By December 1990 the town operated as the headquarters for Mohamed Kanyare Afrah and the USC during its offensive to topple the government of Siad Barre. [12] [13]

Following the large scale Ethiopian intervention in late 2006 and the collapse of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), residents from the three clans residing in the El Buur formed a governing committee with representatives from each clan in order to address lawlessness. [10] As the conflict dragged on the town would become a major stronghold for the militant group Al-Shabaab. On the afternoon 26 March 2012, the Ethiopian military in cooperation with Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a (ASWJ), captured the town from Al-Shabaab after a day of heavy fighting. [14] Following the capture of El Buur, Shabaab fighters in the town simply began living among the civilian population and melted back into clan militias making identification of the insurgents nearly impossible. Within several months all foreign troops would withdraw and the town would revert to insurgent control. [15] In February 2014, the town would once again be captured by AMISOM and ASWJ. [16]

On 31 October 2017 six children, including an eight month old, were killed when an AMISOM peacekeeping contingent opened fire on the outskirts of El Buur. Three children were also reportedly maimed. [17] In April 2018, a US military drone strike beside the town would result in the deaths of a civilian woman and her child. [18]

On August 25, 2023, the Somali National Army, alongside local militias led by Colonel Ismael Abdi Malik successfully ousted the terrorist group Al-Shabaab from CEEl Buur town. The capture of CEEL Buur in the Galmadug Federal Member State marks one of the most significant victories in the first phase of the government's offensive. This is due to towns strategic position in central Somalia and its importance to the terrorist group. The success of the offensive arises from a rare collaboration between the army and the macawisley militia. . "Victory to all Somalis. CEEl Buur district, a major al Shabaab stronghold, has fallen into the hands of Somali forces this hour. The forces are inside the town now," said Ibrahim Sheikh Muhydin, Somalia's army chief, in a speech broadcast live on Facebook. [19]

Commons-logo.svg Media related to El Buur at Wikimedia Commons

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galguduud</span> Region of Somalia

Galguduud is an administrative region (gobol) of Galmudug state in central Somalia. Its administrative capital is Dusmareb. The largest town in the region is El Buur, which lies at the centre of the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiran, Somalia</span> Region of Somalia

Hiran is an administrative region (gobol) in central Somalia and part of the Hirshabelle State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baidoa</span> City in the South West State of Somalia.

Baidoa is the largest city of the South West State of Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murusade</span> Somali clan family

The Murusade, also contemporarily known as Mursal, are a Somali subclan, part of the Karanle branch of the larger Hawiye Clan. They primarily reside in the central regions of Somalia, particularly in the Galgaduud, Lower Shabelle, Middle Shabelle and Banadir regions.

The fall of Kismayo occurred on January 1, 2007, when the troops of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and Ethiopian forces entered the Somali city of Kismayo unopposed. It came after the Islamic Courts Union's forces faltered and fled in the Battle of Jilib, abandoning their final stronghold.

The Duduble, also known as the Maxamuud Hiraab, is a Somali sub clan of the larger Hawiye. The Duduble like most Somali clans can trace their lineage back to Samaale the oldest common father of major Somali clans.

El Afweyn is a town in the Sanaag region of Somaliland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hizbul Islam</span> 2009–2010 and 2012–2014 Somali Islamist insurgent group

Hizbul Islam, also known as Hizbul Islaami, Hisbi Islam, or Hezb-ul Islam, was a Somali Islamist group formed after four Islamist groups merged to oppose the new Somali government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. The four groups were: Hassan Aweys' the ARS-A, Jabhatul Islamiya, Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki's the Mu'askar Ras Kamboni and Muaskar Anole, the Marehan clan's Militia and Harti clan's militia. These groups previously took part in the fighting against the Ethiopian occupation of Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Mogadishu (2009)</span> Battle of the Somali Civil War

The Battle of Mogadishu (2009) started in May with an Islamist offensive, when rebels from al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam attacked and captured government bases in the capital of Mogadishu. The fighting soon spread, causing hundreds of casualties, and continued on at various levels of intensity until October. The battle's name usually includes the year, when referenced, in order to distinguish it amongst the nine major Battles of Mogadishu during the decades long Somali Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle for Central Somalia (2009)</span> Series of battles in various Somalilands in 2009

A series of battles in Hiraan, Shabeellaha Dhexe and Galgudug, between rebels of al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam and Somali government forces and ICU militants loyal to the government, erupted during spring 2009. The fighting led to al-Shabaab capturing major government strongholds and Ethiopian forces re-entering Somalia and setting up bases in Hiraan. There was a halt in fighting during a government offensive in Mogadishu, which started on May 22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a</span> Somalia-based Sufi paramilitary group

Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a (ASWJ) is a Somalia-based paramilitary group consisting of moderate Sufis opposed to radical Salafism. The group opposes extremist interpretations of Islam, as well as laws banning music and khat. The group seeks to protect religious shrines from demolition.

The Battle of Gedo is a conflict of the 2009–present phase of the Somali Civil War. Centered in the region of Gedo, it pits the Somali government and its allies against the al-Qaeda-aligned militant group Al-Shabaab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2012 timeline of the Somali Civil War</span>

This is a 2012 timeline of events in the Somali Civil War (2009–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Kismayo (2012)</span> Part of the War in Somalia

The Battle of Kismayo was an offensive led by the Kenya Defence Forces, under the codename Operation Sledge Hammer, to seize the port city of Kismayo, Somalia, from Al-Shabaab from 28 September 2012. Members of the Raskamboni movement militia were part of the amphibious force.

Dr. Hassan Ali Mire, also known as Hasaan ‘Ali Mirreh, was a Somali politician. During the early 1970s, he briefly served as the first Minister of Education of the Somali Democratic Republic. Mire later co-founded and chaired the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF). In 1998, he was also among the founders of the autonomous Puntland State of Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Indian Ocean</span> 2014–2015 Somali–AMISOM–US mission against al-Shabaab

Operation Indian Ocean was a joint military operation between the Somali military, AMISOM and the United States military against the Al-Shabaab militant group aimed at eliminating the remaining insurgent-held areas in southern Somalia. It officially began in August 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baledogle Airfield</span> Military air base in Somalia

Baledogle Airfield, also called Wanlaweyn Airstrip, is the largest military air base in Somalia, about 90 kilometers northwest of the capital, Mogadishu. The airfield was constructed in the 1970s for the Somali Air Force with assistance of the Soviet Union. It was later expanded on and modernized by the United States during the 2010s.

On 14 August 2006, Galmudug declared autonomy in central Somalia.

Ceel baraf (El baraf) is a town and district in the Middle Shabelle, Somalia. It is a transportation hub at the junction of roads and had been effectively controlled by the Hirshabele.

References

  1. "Afar Arimood oo ay caan ku noqotay Ceelbuur - magaalada Shabaab laga qabsaday galabta". BBC News Somali (in Somali). 2023-08-25.
  2. 1 2 Abdullahi, pp.98-99
  3. Abdulkadir Gure, Somalia WASH Cluster, Properties and Applications of Sepiolite Clay Mineral from El-Bur, Gal-Mudug Regional State, and its potential role for Somalia's long-term Economic Development, April 2017 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316188584_Properties_and_Applications_of_Sepiolite_Clay_Mineral_from_El-Bur_Gal-Mudug_Regional_State_and_its_potential_role_for_Somalia's_long-term_Economic_Development
  4. Alietti, A., Brigatti, M.F., Poppi, L. (1985) Sepiolite deposits of the El-Bur, Galgudund Area, Central Somalia https://arcadia.sba.uniroma3.it/handle/2307/5458
  5. Keltie, J.S. (1928). The Statesman's Year -Book. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 20.
  6. Aroma, Abdulqadir (2005). Tiirka Colaadda. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 115. ISBN   9780968125922.
  7. Aroma, Abdulqadir (2005). Tiirka Colaadda. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 67. ISBN   9780968125922.
  8. Aroma, Abdulqadir (2005). Tiirka Colaadda. Macmillan. p. 68. ISBN   9780968125922.
  9. "REGION HOLDS RECEPTION FOR SOVIET TECHNICIANS". Daily Report: Sub-Saharan Africa. 75 (134). Foreign Broadcast Information Service: B1. 11 July 1975.
  10. 1 2 Hanna, Mike (11 April 2007). "Somalia village offers hope". www.hiiraan.com. Al Jazeera . Retrieved 2023-05-02.
  11. "Military Plane Reportedly Held By USC Rebels". Daily Report: Sub-Saharan Africa. 90 (234). Foreign Broadcast Information Service: 12. 4 Dec 1990 via Readex.
  12. Sailhan, Micheal (3 Dec 1990). "Rebels Reportedly 50 km From Mogadishu". Daily Report: Sub-Saharan Africa. 90 (232). Foreign Broadcast Information Service: 9 via Readex.
  13. Kapteijns, Lidwien (2013). Clan Cleansing in Somalia: The Ruinous Legacy of 1991. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 120. OCLC   785870938.
  14. "Shabab loses central Somalia stronghold". Jane's Country Risk Daily Report. 19 (64). 28 Mar 2012 via ProQuest.
  15. Defense Technical Information Center (2014-02-01). DTIC ADA601725: Countering the al-Shabaab Insurgency in Somalia: Lessons for U.S. Special Operations Forces. pp. 33, 77.
  16. Solomon, Hussein (2017-01-02). "Beyond the state: reconceptualising African security in the 21st century". African Security Review. 26 (1): 69. doi:10.1080/10246029.2016.1264986. ISSN   1024-6029. S2CID   151866888.
  17. United Nations (4 March 2020). Children and armed conflict in Somalia: Report of the Secretary-General.
  18. "Al-Shabaab chief killed by US air strike in Somalia". The Daily Telegraph . 9 March 2020.
  19. "Somali forces capture major al Shabaab militia stronghold". Reuters. 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2023-08-26.