Widhwidh, also known as Widh Widh, is a town located in the

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 ...

district of

Togdheer Togdheer ( so, Togdheer, ar, تُوْجْدَيْر, Tūjdayr) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in central Somaliland. Togdheer is bordered by Maroodi Jeex to the west, Saaxil to the north, Sanaag to the northeast, Sool to the east and ...

, Somaliland.

Overview

The settlement is located by road from

. The district was part of the

2010 Ayn clashes 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...

on 19 July 2010. The town is inhabited by the Barkad sub-clan of the

Farah Garad The Farah Garad or the Garad Farah ( so, Faarax Garaad, ar, محمد جراد, Full Name:'' ’Farah Shirshore Habarwa Abdullah Muse Said Saleh Abdi Mohamed Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti'' ) is a Somali clan which is part of the Dhulbahant ...

branch of the

Dhulbahante The Dhulbahante ( so, Dhulbahante, ar, دلبةنتئ) is a Somali clan family, part of the Harti clan which itself belongs to the largest Somali clan-family — the Darod. They are the traditional inhabitants of the physiographic Nugaal in its ...

clan. On October 10, clan chiefs, intellectuals and the diaspora community from the Barkad sub-clan held a meeting in the Widh Widh District and voiced support for the Khatumo II Conference to be held in the Taleex District.

History

In 1921, Widhwidh was one of many foreign cities. In May 2010, fighting broke out between the Darod-dominated armed group

HBM-SSC SSC or HMB-SSC ( so, Haggaanka Mideynta iyo Badbaadinta Gobolada SSC ee Soomalia, Unity and Salvation Authority of the SSC regions of Somalia) or HBM-SSC ( so, Hoggaanka Badbaadada iyo Mideynta SSC) was the name of the self-proclaimed autonomous g ...

and the Somaliland forces. On June 13, Somaliland's Foreign Minister described HBM-SSC as a "terrorist group" and said it was responsible for the violence in

and Widhwidh. On June 26, fighting broke out between Somaliland forces and anti-Somaliland forces in

Kalabaydh Kalabaydh is a town which is part of the Maroodi Jeex Marodi Jeh ( so, Maroodi Jeex, ar, مرودي جيح) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in western Somaliland. It is the most populous region of the country. It is bordered by Awd ...

and Widhwidh. Another battle took place in Widhwidh in July. Residents were evacuated to neighboring towns. In August, the elders of

and

jointly proposed a settlement. However, Somaliland government rejected the proposal, saying that it respects the will of the council of elders, but that the strategy of the Somaliland forces is a full-time matter for the Somaliland government. In 2011 HBM-SSC collapsed due to internal divisions. Nevertheless, the anti-Somaliland forces of the Dhulbahante clan did not disappear, and in 2012 a new organization called

Khatumo State Khatumo State ( so, Khaatumo; ar, ولاية خاتمة, translit=wilāyat khātimah), officially the Khatumo State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Khaatumo ee Soomaaliya), was a successor to the SSC Movement. Centred on the Sool, Sanaag reg ...

. In 2011 a peace conference was held in the town between the local community and the Somaliland government. In February 2014, Ethiopian forces and Somaliland government arrested Al-Shabaab officials near Widhwidh. The Somaliland government had agreed in a pact to the capture of criminals by Ethiopia in areas under its own control. In July 2015, Somaliland forces, which had been in retreat for some time now, drove out

forces stationed in Widhwidh. In April 2016, the Somaliland forces sent 25 new military vehicles to Widhwidh to counter

forces. In July 2016, Widhwidh elders demanded the withdrawal of Somaliland troops on the occasion of the funeral of recently deceased Swedish Chief Garaad Abshir Saalax in Widhwidh, as the funeral could also attract anti-Somalilanders. In the same month, a meeting was held to determine Garaad Abshir Saalax's successor. Since the end of 2016, the idea of merging

into Somaliland took shape; in February 2017, the Khatumo State installed a well in Widhwidh, using funds from Somaliland's telecommunications company Telesom. In September 2019, a mother and child care hospital was established in Widhwidh district, funded by the overseas

Diaspora A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...

. In January 2020, a mysterious epidemic killed 12 children in the Widhwidh district. After investigating the cause, the Somaliland Ministry of Health announced that this was a simultaneous outbreak of three diseases: pneumonia, fever, and diarrhea, and that the problem had been resolved. In June-July 2020, a clash between the Hayaag (of the

) in

and the Reer Hagar (of the Dhulbahante) in WidhWidh. In August 2020, envoys from the clans living in

and

Ceegaag Ceegaag is a town located in the Togdheer Togdheer ( so, Togdheer, ar, تُوْجْدَيْر, Tūjdayr) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in central Somaliland. Togdheer is bordered by Maroodi Jeex to the west, Saaxil to the north, ...

visited the Widhwidh district and held a meeting to end the war between the two clans. In October 2020, road construction began connecting Tuulo Smakaab, Widhwidh and Goonle was started. Tuulo Smakaab is located in the middle of the main road that passes through the center of Somaliland and the Sool region, and when completed, this road will provide convenient transportation from the center of Somaliland to the district of Buuhoodle. In June 2021, a mayoral election for

Buhoodle District Buhoodle District ( so, Degmada Buuhoodle) is a district in the Togdheer region of Somaliland. Its district capital is Buuhoodle. Demographics The district is inhabited by the Dhulbahante clan of the Daarood The Darod ( so, Daarood, ar, � ...

in Somaliland was held in Widhwidh, and Khadiija Ahmed Yusuf of the Kulmiye Party as mayor and Mustafe Cabdi Ayaanle of the

Waddani The Somaliland National Party ( so, Xisbiga Waddani, lit=Patriotic Party), sometimes referred to as the Waddani National Party and better known by its shortened Somali form Waddani, is a political party in Somaliland. The party was founded by Ab ...

Party as deputy mayor was elected. But

city did not participate in this election. Khadija Ahmed Yusuf is the first woman elected mayor in the history of Somaliland. On July 22, 2021, Garaad Maxamed Garaad Abshir Saalax, he is a son of Garaad Abshir Saalax, who died in 2016, was officially recognized as the successor Garaad (clan chief). The inauguration ceremony brought together elders, politicians, and ordinary citizens living in Puntland, Somaliland, Ethiopia, and other countries.

Overview

History

Notes

References

External links