According to a professor of anthropology at the London School of Economics and Political Science and author of several books on Somalia, the main inhabitants of the Gabiley area in 1987-1988 were the Habar Awal, the Saa'd Muuse --both lssaq --and the Jibril Abokor (the 'Ali Jibril segment) (31 Mar. 1996). The source adds that there were also a small number of Gadabursi and that there were probably some Ogaden (Darod Somali) and Oromo (non-Somali) refugees from Ethiopia living in the area. These refugees settled in Gabiley after the Somalia-Ethiopia war in 1977-1978 (ibid.). This information can be found in Chapter 4 of Lewis' book, A Pastoral Democracy, published by Holmes & Miser (New York) in 1982 (ibid.), currently unavailable to the DIRB.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Professor of anthropology, London School of Economics and Political Science, London. 31 March 1996. Fax received by the DIRB.