Hudur ( so, Xuddur, Maay: ''Hudur'') is a town in the south Western

Bakool Bakool ( so, Bakool, Maay: ''Bokool'', ar, بكول) is a region ('' gobol'') in southwestern Somalia. Overview It is bordered by the Somali regions of Hiiraan, Bay and Gedo. Bakool, like Gedo and Bay, as well as most parts of the Jubbada D ...

region of

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 Constitut ...

. It serves as the province's capital and is the center of the

Hudur District Hudur District ( so, magaalada xudur) is a district in the southwestern Bakool region of Somalia. Its capital is Hudur Hudur ( so, Xuddur, Maay: ''Hudur'') is a town in the south Western Bakool region of Somalia. It serves as the province's cap ...

History

During the Middle Ages, Hudur and its surrounding area was part of the

Ajuran Empire The Ajuran Sultanate ( so, Saldanadda Ajuuraan, ar, سلطنة الأجورانية), also natively referred-to as Ajuuraan, and often simply Ajuran, was a Somali Empire in the Middle Ages in the Horn of Africa that dominated the trade in th ...

that governed much of southern

and eastern

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

, with its domain extending from

Hobyo Hobyo (; so, Hobyo), is an ancient port city in Galmudug state in the north-central Mudug region of Somalia. Hobyo was founded as a coastal outpost by the Ajuran Empire during the 13th century.Lee V. Cassanelli, ''The shaping of Somali society: ...

in the north, to Qelafo in the west, to

Kismayo Kismayo ( so, Kismaayo, Maay: ''Kismanyy'', ar, كيسمايو, ; it, Chisimaio) is a port city in the southern Lower Juba (Jubbada Hoose) province of Somalia. It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region. The city is situat ...

in the south.Lee V. Cassanelli, ''The shaping of Somali society: reconstructing the history of a pastoral people, 1600-1900'', (University of Pennsylvania Press: 1982), p.102. In the early modern period, Hudur was ruled by the

Geledi Sultanate The Sultanate of the Geledi ( so, Saldanadda Geledi, ar, سلطنة غلدي) also known as the Gobroon Dynasty Somali Sultanate: The Geledi City-state Over 150 Years - Virginia Luling (2002) Page 229 was a Somali kingdom that ruled parts of th ...

. The kingdom was eventually incorporated into

Italian Somaliland Italian Somalia ( it, Somalia Italiana; ar, الصومال الإيطالي, Al-Sumal Al-Italiy; so, Dhulka Talyaaniga ee Soomaalida), was a protectorate and later colony of the Kingdom of Italy in present-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th centu ...

protectorate A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over most of its in ...

in 1910 after the death of the last Sultan

Osman Ahmed Osman Ahmed ( ar, عثمان أحمد) was a Somali ruler. He was the fifth and final Sultan of the Geledi Sultanate. Osman Ahmed is considered less illustrious than his predecessors and Gobroon power weakened considerably under his rule. He was ...

. After independence in 1960, the city was made the center of the official

Overview

Hudur is located in southwestern Somalia. It sits at . During the Islamist insurgency of the 2000s, the city was seized by Al-Shabaab. In March 2014, Ethiopian AMISOM and Somali troops re-captured the town from the militants. The offensive was part of an intensified military operation by the allied forces against Al-Shabaab. According to Prime Minister

Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed ( so, Cabdiweli Sheekh Axmed, ar, عبدالولي الشيخ أحمد; born 1959), also known as Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed Mohammad, is a Somali economist and politician. He previously worked in the Somali military governmen ...

, the government subsequently launched stabilization efforts in the newly liberated areas, which also included

Wajid Wajid may refer to: *Al-Wājid (Arabic: الواجد), one of the names of God in Islam, meaning "''Perceiver''" or "''Unfailing''" * Wajid (name), male given name of Arabic origin (includes a list of people with this name) :*Wajid, Indian film m ...

, Rabdhure and Burdhubo. The Ministry of Defence was providing ongoing reassurance and security to the local residents, and supplying logistical and security support to deliver relief assistance. Additionally, the Ministry of Interior was prepared to support and put into place programs to assist local administration and security. A Deputy Minister and several religious scholars were also dispatched to all four towns to coordinate and supervise the federal government's stabilization initiatives.

Demographics

As of 2000, Hudur had a population of around 12,500 inhabitants. The broader Hudur District has a total population of 93,049 residents. Most local residents belong to the

Hadame The Rahanweyn (Maay: ''Reewin or Roowing'', Northern Somali: ''Raxanweyn'', ar, رحنوين), also known as the Digil and Mirifle () are a Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large territory and dense ...

and Luwaay both sub-clans of the Mirifle branch part of the larger

Rahanweyn The Rahanweyn ( Maay: ''Reewin or Roowing'', Northern Somali: ''Raxanweyn'', ar, رحنوين), also known as the Digil and Mirifle () are a Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large territory and dense ...

family. The main language spoken in the town is the

Cushitic The Cushitic languages are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are spoken primarily in the Horn of Africa, with minorities speaking Cushitic languages to the north in Egypt and the Sudan, and to the south in Kenya and Tanzania. As o ...

Maay language.

Notes

References

Hudur - populated place (Somalia)
{{Authority control Populated places in Bakool