Wadamago ( so, Wadaamagoo) is a historic town in
Aynabo District
Aynabo District ( so, Degmada Caynaba), colloquially known as Sarar ( so, Saraar), is a district in the northern Sool region of Somaliland. Its capital lies at Aynabo. Other settlements in the district includes Wadaamagoo, War Idaad, Berkad Ali H ...
, in the
Sool
Sool ( so, Sool, ar, صول) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in south eastern Somaliland/north western Somalia. It borders Togdheer to the west, Sanaag to the north, Ethiopia to the south and Nugal, Bari to the east. Its capital city ...
region of
Somaliland
Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...
.
Etymology
The name Wadamago () stems from the phrase ''Wadaamo go, meaning ''wadaan breaker'' in
Somali. A wadaan is a hand made bucket that is made up of animal skin and is a watertight round cylinder, with an open top that is attached to a semicircular carrying handle, which is also attached to a rope. Somali nomads grab the rope and drop the wadaan into a well to carry water.
Overview
Wadamago is situated in the
Aynaba District
Aynabo District ( so, Degmada Caynaba), colloquially known as Sarar ( so, Saraar), is a district in the northern Sool region of Somaliland. Its capital lies at Aynabo. Other settlements in the district includes Wadaamagoo, War Idaad, Berkad Ali H ...
in the western part of
Sool
Sool ( so, Sool, ar, صول) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in south eastern Somaliland/north western Somalia. It borders Togdheer to the west, Sanaag to the north, Ethiopia to the south and Nugal, Bari to the east. Its capital city ...
region. Wadamago is approximately 18 km west of
Aynaba
Aynaba, also spelt Ainabo, Ainaba or Aynabo ( so, Caynaba, ) is a major town in western Sool region of Somaliland as well as the administrative seat of the Aynaba District. Aynaba is known for its watering wells and for its good and abundant fresh ...
, the administrative seat of the wider district. Other nearby towns include
Qoorlugud
Qorilugud is a sizeable town in Togdheer region of Somaliland, located north by road from Buuhoodle. It is the second-largest town in Buuhoodle District after the district capital Buuhoodle.
Demographics
The main inhabitants are the Solomadow ...
(61 km),
Buuhoodle
Buuhoodle ( so, Buuhoodle, ar, بووهودل), also known as Bohotle, is the second largest city in the Togdheer region of Somaliland and also the capital of the Cayn region under Puntland. It is a prominent border town for movements of goods t ...
(102 km) and
Kirit (15 km).
The town contains a 40 ft deep cave well with an abundant supply of water, made of limestone used by nomads nearby to sustain themselves and their livestock. The altitude of the town is estimated to be 800m.
A road connecting the town to the nearby towns of
Qorilugud and
Buuhoodle
Buuhoodle ( so, Buuhoodle, ar, بووهودل), also known as Bohotle, is the second largest city in the Togdheer region of Somaliland and also the capital of the Cayn region under Puntland. It is a prominent border town for movements of goods t ...
is being constructed. Once completed, the 102 km long road will boost trade and economic activity in the Aynaba and Buuhoodle districts.
History
Dervish movement
Wadamago was one of many
Dervish
Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity
A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, ...
outposts used throughout the duration of the
Somaliland campaign. Guarded by some estimated 2,000 Dervish troops, it was one of the largest Dervish outposts in Somaliland. The town was described as having an abundant supply of good water from underground aquefiers.
Wadamago is also the site where a battalion led by
Henry Alexander Walker
Brigadier-General Henry Alexander Walker (20 October 1874 – 1 May 1953) was a British Army officer who served with the Royal Fusiliers regiment, and later with the King's African Rifles in the First World War.
Military career
Walker was the so ...
performed mundane escort duties and fatigues for a year before returning to
Nyasaland
Nyasaland () was a British protectorate located in Africa that was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Between 1953 and 1963, Nyasaland was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasala ...
.
1945 Sheikh Bashir Rebellion
![Sheikh Bashir praying](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ae/Sheikh_Bashir_praying.jpg)
The 1945 Sheikh Bashir Rebellion was a rebellion waged by tribesmen of the
Habr Je'lo
The Habr Je'lo ( so, Habar Jeclo, ar, هبر جعلو , Full Name: ''Mūsa ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad,'' historically known as the Habr Toljaala ( so, Habar Toljeclo) is a major sub-tribe of the wider Isaaq family. Its members form p ...
clan in the former
British Somaliland
British Somaliland, officially the Somaliland Protectorate ( so, Dhulka Maxmiyada Soomaalida ee Biritishka), was a British Empire, British protectorate in present-day Somaliland. During its existence, the territory was bordered by Italian Soma ...
protectorate against British authorities in July 1945 led by
Sheikh Bashir
Sheikh Bashir Sheikh Yusuf Sheikh Hassan ( so, Sheekh Bashiir Sheekh Yuusuf Sheekh Xasan, ar, الشيخ بشير الشيخ يوسف الشيخ حسن, born c. 1905) was a Somali religious leader famed for leading the 1945 Sheikh Bashir Rebell ...
, a
Somali religious leader.
On 2 July, Sheikh Bashir collected 25 of his followers in the town of Wadamago and transported them on a lorry to the vicinity of
Burao
Burao, also spelt Bur'o or Bur'ao (; so, Burco, , ar, برعو) is the capital of the Togdheer region and the second largest city in Somaliland. Burao was also the third largest city of Somalia. Burao was the site of the declaration of an in ...
, where he distributed arms to half of his followers. On the evening of 3 July the group entered Burao and opened fire on the police guard of the central prison in the city, which was filled with prisoners arrested for previous demonstrations. The group also attacked the house of the district commissioner of
Burao District
Burao District ( so, Degmada Burco) is a Administrative divisions of Somaliland, district of the Togdheer region in central Somaliland. Its capital lies at Burao.
Overview
The district is home to some of the largest livestock markets, known in So ...
, Major Chambers, resulting in the death of Major Chamber's police guard before escaping to Bur Dhab, a strategic mountain south-east of Burao, where Sheikh Bashir's small unit occupied a fort and took up a defensive position in anticipation of a British counterattack.
The British campaign against Sheikh Bashir's troops proved abortive after several defeats as his forces kept moving from place to place and avoiding any permanent location. No sooner had the expedition left the area, than the news traveled fast among the Somali nomads across the plain. The war had exposed the British administration to humiliation. The government came to a conclusion that another expedition against him would be useless; that they must build a railway, make roads and effectively occupy the whole of the protectorate, or else abandon the interior completely. The latter course was decided upon, and during the first months of 1945, the advance posts were withdrawn and the British administration confined to the coast town of
Berbera
Berbera (; so, Barbara, ar, بربرة) is the capital of the Sahil region of Somaliland and is the main sea port of the country. Berbera is a coastal city and was the former capital of the British Somaliland protectorate before Hargeisa. It ...
.
Sheikh Bashir settled many disputes among the tribes in the vicinity, which kept them from raiding each other. He was generally thought to settle disputes through the use of Islamic
Sharia
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...
and gathered around him a strong following.
The British administration recruited
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n and
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
n troops, led by police general James David, to fight against Sheikh Bashir and had intelligence plans to capture him alive. The British authorities mobilized a police force, and eventually on 7 July found Sheikh Bashir and his unit in defensive positions behind their fortifications in the mountains of Bur Dhab. After clashes Sheikh Bashir and his second-in-command, Alin Yusuf Ali, nicknamed Qaybdiid, were killed. A third rebel was wounded and was captured along with two other rebels. The rest fled the fortifications and dispersed. On the British side the police general leading the British troops as well as a number of Indian and South African troops perished in the clashes, and a policeman was injured.
![Wadaamogoo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Wadaamogoo.jpg)
After his death, Sheikh Bashir was widely hailed by locals as a martyr and was held in great reverence. His family took quick action to remove his body from the place of his death at Geela-eeg mountain, about 20 miles from
Burao
Burao, also spelt Bur'o or Bur'ao (; so, Burco, , ar, برعو) is the capital of the Togdheer region and the second largest city in Somaliland. Burao was also the third largest city of Somalia. Burao was the site of the declaration of an in ...
.
Somali National Movement
Wadamago is situated in a very strategic location, lying on the only tarmac road connecting
Somaliland
Somaliland,; ar, صوماليلاند ', ' officially the Republic of Somaliland,, ar, جمهورية صوماليلاند, link=no ''Jumhūrīyat Ṣūmālīlānd'' is a ''de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still conside ...
with
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
, and contained a military base belonging to the
Somali National Movement
The Somali National Movement ( so, Dhaqdhaqaaqa Wadaniga Soomaaliyeed, ar, الحركة الوطنية الصومالية) was one of the first and most important organized guerilla groups opposed to the Siad Barre regime in the 1980s to the 19 ...
. As a result, the town was heavily mined by the
Somali National Army
The Somali National Army ( Somali: ''Xooga Dalka Soomaaliyeed,'' lit. ''"Somali Ground Forces"'') is the ground forces component of the Somali Armed Forces, and is the largest out of the three service branches that make up the majority of the A ...
led by
Siad Barre
Mohamed Siad Barre ( so, Maxamed Siyaad Barre, Osmanya script: ; ar, محمد سياد بري; c. 1910 – 2 January 1995) was a Somali head of state and general who served as the 3rd president of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 to 199 ...
during the
Somaliland War of Independence
The Somaliland War of Independence ( so, Dagaalkii Xoraynta Soomaaliland, lit=Somaliland Liberation War) was a rebellion waged by the Somali National Movement against the ruling military junta in Somali Democratic Republic, Somalia led by Genera ...
.
A famous landmark associated with the town is a fig tree of the Ficus platyphylla order believed to be hundreds of years old called ''Bardaha Wadaamagoo''. Located in the center of the town, a Chinese crew had attempted to cut the tree down during the construction of the main road in the town however after resistance from locals the road was built bending around it. The tree was used by the SNM to ambush and inflict heavy casualties on convoys of
Siad Barre
Mohamed Siad Barre ( so, Maxamed Siyaad Barre, Osmanya script: ; ar, محمد سياد بري; c. 1910 – 2 January 1995) was a Somali head of state and general who served as the 3rd president of the Somali Democratic Republic from 1969 to 199 ...
's soldiers passing through the town.
The bloody and costly ambushes spawned a famous saying in the town; ', which translated from
Somali means; ''Whoever passes by the long road in peace will meet his fate in Wadamago'', in reference to the heavy Somali army casualties.
Demographics
The town is exclusively inhabited by the
Solomadow
The Mohamed Abokor ( so, Maxamed Abokor, Full Name:'' Muḥammad ibn Abū Bakr ibn Jibrīl ibn Abū Bakr ibn Mūsa ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad'') is a Somali clan, and a major sub-division of the Habr Je'lo clan of the Isaaq.
The Mohamed ...
sub-division of the
Habr Je'lo
The Habr Je'lo ( so, Habar Jeclo, ar, هبر جعلو , Full Name: ''Mūsa ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad,'' historically known as the Habr Toljaala ( so, Habar Toljeclo) is a major sub-tribe of the wider Isaaq family. Its members form p ...
Isaaq
The Isaaq (also Isaq, Ishaak, Isaac) ( so, Reer Sheekh Isxaaq, ar, بني إسحاق, Banī Isḥāq) is a Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large and densely populated traditional territory. Per ...
clan.
[ ]
References
{{reflist
Populated places in Sool, Somaliland