IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor): „Information 1) on the current situation of the Gadabursi in Somalia and in Somaliland, on the actions taken against them by other clans and on their current relationship with the Hawiye and the Issaq, 2) on areas controlled by any affiliated clan, 3) on their ability to carry on trade, 4) on whether they hire soldiers, and 5) on whether they sell arms [SOM11602]“, Dokument #1311612

Information 1) on the current situation of the Gadabursi in Somalia and in Somaliland, on the actions taken against them by other clans and on their current relationship with the Hawiye and the Issaq, 2) on areas controlled by any affiliated clan, 3) on their ability to carry on trade, 4) on whether they hire soldiers, and 5) on whether they sell arms [SOM11602]

1) Information on the Gadabursi in Somalia and on their relationship with the Hawyie is virtually non-existant, since most of them are concentrated in the North West and in Ethiopia. The head of one pro-unity wing of the Somali Democratic Alliance, the Gadabursi movement, is currently in Mogadishu, collaborating with Hawiye President Ali Mahdi Mohamed (Gilkes July 1992, 49). Many Gadabursi refugees from Mogadishu returned to Boroma (the main Gadabursi town) since January 1991, fleeing the conflict there between Hawyie and Darod, and within the Hawyie themselves (Ryle Jan. 1992, 15).

Current information on the Gadabursi in Somaliland is also scarce but slightly more documented. A report indicates that the Gadabursi, as well as other minority clans in Somaliland, have been resistant to the unilateral declaration of independence by the Issaq Somali National Movement (SNM) in May 1991 (Jeune Afrique 28 May-3 June 1992, 28). Earlier this year, the only two Gadabursi included in the SNM-led government of Somaliland resigned or were dismissed from their positions (The Indian Ocean Newsletter 29 Feb. 1992; 14 Mar. 1992). The fact that the government of Somaliland is strongly dominated by the Issaq has led to an increased resistance from non-Issaq clans in the North (Current History May 1992, 233).

Armed conflict also occurred which opposed the Gadabursi and the Issaq. In February 1991, "ethnic cleansing" by the SNM took place in the Boroma region, the main Gadabursi town (Inter-NGO Committee Apr. 1991, 71; Africa Research Bulletin 1-28 Feb. 1991, 10025; Radio of the Somali National Movement 5 Feb. 1991). The Gadabursi town of Dila was also partially destroyed by the SNM (Ibid.). More recently, fighting broke out in the Gadabursi town at the end of March 1992, spreading to Berbera two days later (Horn of Africa Bulletin Mar. 1992, 11).

The Gadabursi are traditional enemies of the Issaq and, according to a June 1991 report, Gadabursi refugees in Ethiopian camps were apprehensive to return to newly-proclaimed Somaliland because they feared repraisal for their association with the regime of Mohamed Siad Barre (The Independent 22 June 1991; Le Monde 7 Feb. 1991). For example, Gadabursi militias had helped the Somali Army to retake control of Zeila and Loyada in April 1990 after most of the region was conquered by the SNM (AFP 4 Apr. 1990). The fact that most refugees who fled to Ethiopia during the first part of 1991 were Gadabursi indicates that the fighting for independence, led by the Issaq SNM, has led a significant number of Gadabursi to flee Somaliland (Ryle Jan. 1992, 13; Reuters 18 May 1991; Le Monde 23 May 1991). The SNM destroyed the home town of a large number of refugees, Dila, which prevents many Gadabursi Reer Nuur (sub-clan) refugees from returning from Ethiopian camps (Ryle Jan. 1992, 13).

The Gadabursi Somali Democratic Alliance (SDA) has split up over the independence of Somaliland: one wing was headed by one minister of the SNM-dominated government who was recently sacked, a second wing claims the SNM has broken up its promises of fairness towards all Northern clans, and the third win strongly support Somali unity (Gilkes July 1992, 49). However, some sub-clans of the Gadabursi, such as the Jibril Yunis, is reportedly not opposed to the SNM (Ryle Jan. 1992, 14).

Although not currently engaged in armed resistance against the Somaliland Issaq-led government, the Gadabursi are now able to partially control the administration of their region, owing to the fact that the SNM has "virtually no administration at all" and to internal feuds within the Issaq, preventing them for now to enforce their power on non-Issaq regions (Gilkes, July 1992, 52).

According to a former member of the Hargeisa Group (imprisoned in 1982 by the Mohamed Siad Barre's regime), who went to Somaliland after the declaration of independence, part of the Gadabursi leadership negociated with the Issaq for the foundation of Somaliland while some other elders refused the secession (31 Aug. 1992). The Gadabursi have a concept of the legal personal law very different from that of the Issaq (31 Aug. 1992). Since they have been mostly sedentarized for a very long time, their mentality and concept of the State are very unlike if not opposite those of the mostly nomadic Issaq (Ibid.). Their position on secession has been adversarial to the Issaq and this divergence is likely to create clashes in the future (Ibid.).

According to a Somali social worker in Otawa, the Gadabursi have historically advocated pan-somalism and milited for a unified Somalia including parts of Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya (28 Aug. 1992). Although they were not in a numerical position to confront the Issaq at the time of secession in May 1991, the declaration of independence goes totally against their concept of the State-Nation (Ibid.). They had to accomodate to the Issaq's strong demand for independence of the North, but have since been reluctant to let the SNM administration take effective control of their region (Ibid.).

Additional or corroborative information on this subject is currently unavailable to the IRBDC in Ottawa.

2) Information on areas controlled by Gadabursi-affiliated clans is currently unavailable to the IRBDC in Ottawa. The Issa, a member of the same Dir family of clans, is in control of the neighboring Djiboutian state, but has traditionally been enemy to the Gadabursi, whom they deemed as "foreigners" in Djibouti (Oberlé and Hugo 1985, 124; Gilkes July 1992, 43). 3) With the destruction of Hargeisa in 1988 and the collapse of Issaq-controlled trade with Djibouti, the Gadabursi and the Issa both competed to take that trading route over (Gilkes July 1992, 50; Djama 1991, 11). A January 1992 report indicates that Gadabursi cattle traders were re-establishing livestock exports from Berbera port (Ryle Jan. 1992, 14). However, fighting around Berbera has prevented trading activities in the area (Djama 1991, 11).

4) and 5) Information regarding Gadabursi militias operating currently or arms trade is currently unavailable to the IRBDC.

References

African Development Bank, Abidjan, Ivory Coast. 31 August 1992. Telephone Interview with a Somali banker.

Agence France Presse (AFP). 4 April 1990. "Somalie: les rebelles du MNS ont repris le contrôle de la frontière avec Djibouti."

Current History [Philadelphia]. May 1992. Rakiya Omaar. "Somalia: At War with Itself," p. 233.

Hargeisa Group. 31 August 1992. Telephone Interview with a former member presently residing in Ottawa.

The Independent [London]. 22 June 1991. Richard Dowden. "Resilient People will Survive - if Aid Arrives."

The Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris]. 14 March 1992. "Ministers Sent on Diplomatic Mission."

_____. 29 February 1992. "Somaliland: Government Reshuffle Signals Internal Rifts."

Jeune Afrique [Paris]. 28 May-3 June 1992. Marc Yared. "Somaliland: un état fantôme."

Le Monde [Paris]. 23 May 1991. Roland-Pierre Paringaux. "Sécheresse et rebellions: des dizaines de milliers de réfugiés en quête de pain et de paix."

_____. 7 February 1991. Jean Hélène. "Somalie: les maquisards nordistes ne veulent pas devenir les "dindons de la paix"."

Reuters. 18 May 1991. Rowena Whelan. "Somali Rebel Commander to Head Independent Northern State."

Université de Vincennes, Paris. 28 August 1992. Telephone Interview with a former professor.

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