Sool ( so, Sool, ar, صول) is an administrative region (''
gobol'') in south eastern
Somaliland/north western
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 borders
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 ...
to the west,
Sanaag to the north,
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 Er ...
to the south and
Nugal,
Bari to the east. Its capital city is
Las Anod
Las Anod ( so, Laascaanood; ar, لاسعانود) is the administrative capital of the Sool, Somaliland, Sool region of Somaliland.
Territorial dispute
The city is disputed by Puntland and Somaliland. The former bases its claim due to the ki ...
. The region is disputed by the self-declared Republic of
Somaliland and
Puntland
Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...
, a Federal Member State 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 ...
. The region is partially controlled by both polities.
Territorial dispute
Sool is disputed by
Somaliland and
Puntland
Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...
. The former basis its claim on the
British Somaliland protectorate borders, and the later on the territory inhabited by the
Harti clan that established the state in 1998.
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 ...
and its predecessor
SSC Movement
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 ...
which rejected both claims also made attempts to establish a separate administration in the region.
In 2003, Puntland sent troops to
Las Anod
Las Anod ( so, Laascaanood; ar, لاسعانود) is the administrative capital of the Sool, Somaliland, Sool region of Somaliland.
Territorial dispute
The city is disputed by Puntland and Somaliland. The former bases its claim due to the ki ...
under the pretext of conflict mediation and occupied it outright.
[ Somaliland and Puntland were in conflict west of Las Anod. In 2007, Somaliland took military control of Las Anod. Somaliland and Puntland were in conflict near Tukaraq.][ In 2018, the Somaliland army captured Tukaraq. In April 2019, the Somaliland army took control of Taleh. In May 2022 Somaliland captured Bo'ame, the last town in the region outside of Somaliland control.
Due to the prolonged conflict between Somaliland and Puntland, many Dhulbahante and Warsangeli living in the region do not recognize the Sool region and eastern Sanaag, as either Somaliland or Puntland.
]
History
From 1944 to 1974, the Sool region was formerly Las Anod district. It was one of three districts under British protection. The other two districts were the Burao and hargeysa districts.
In 1974 most Sool was part of the larger Nugaal region, with its capital at Garowe
Garowe ( so, Garoowe, ar, غَاْرَّوْؤَيَ, . It was established as a separate region in 1984 with its capital at Las Anod
Las Anod ( so, Laascaanood; ar, لاسعانود) is the administrative capital of the Sool, Somaliland, Sool region of Somaliland.
Territorial dispute
The city is disputed by Puntland and Somaliland. The former bases its claim due to the ki ...
.
Demographics
The Sool region is almost exclusively inhabited by 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 i ...
. Michael Walls reports:
"The residents of Sool overwhelmingly hail from a single clan grouping in the form of the Dhulbahante .. Sool boasts a degree of kinship homogeneity that is rare even in the Somali Horn".
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 ...
clan of the 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. Pe ...
clan-family make up the vast majority of the population in western Sool, including the region's second largest town Aynaba, as well as the wider Aynaba District.
The Habr Yunis sub-division of the Garhajis
The Garhajis ( so, Garxajis, ar, غرحجس , Full Name: ''Al-Qādhī Ismā'īl ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad bin Muḥammad bin'' ''al-Ḥusayn al-Hāshimīy'') historically known as the Habar Gerhajis () is a major clan of the wider Isa ...
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. Pe ...
also inhabit the western parts of Hudun
Hudun () is a historical town in the eastern Sool region of Somaliland, and the seat of the Hudun District.
Overview
Located in southeast Somaliland, Hudun lies 59 kilometres north by road from the provincial capital of Las Anod.
Education
Ac ...
and Las Anod
Las Anod ( so, Laascaanood; ar, لاسعانود) is the administrative capital of the Sool, Somaliland, Sool region of Somaliland.
Territorial dispute
The city is disputed by Puntland and Somaliland. The former bases its claim due to the ki ...
districts in northern Sool.
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 i ...
sub-division of the Harti Darod clan primarily inhabits the Taleh, eastern Hudun and Las Anod districts in eastern Sool. The Fiqishini sub-clan of the Habar Gidir
The Habar Gidir (Somali: Habar Gidir, Arabic: هبر جدير) is a major subclan of the Hawiye. The clan has produced many prominent Somali figures, including the first Prime Minister of Somalia Abdullahi Issa Mohamud and Somalia's fifth Presi ...
Hawiye
The Hawiye ( so, Hawiye, ar, بنو هوية, it, Hauija) is the largest Somali clan family. Members of this clan traditionally inhabit central and southern Somalia, Somaliland, Ethiopia (Somali, Harar, Oromia and Afar regions) and the Nort ...
integrated into Baho Nugaaled
The Baho Nugaaleed ( so, Baho Nugaaleed, ar, باهو نوغال), is a loose Somali clan confederation that is part of the Dhulbahante clan-family. The primary homeland of these clans include the regions of Sool and Togdheer in Somaliland, the L ...
Dhulbahante, inhabit the area around Adhi'adeye.
Districts
The Sool region consists of 4 districts.
Map
Somaliland-Sool Region.svg
See also
* Sanaag
*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 ...
* Somaliland
*Puntland
Puntland ( so, Puntland, ar, أرض البنط, it, Terra di Punt or ''Paese di Punt''), officially the Puntland State of Somalia ( so, Dowlad Goboleedka Puntland ee Soomaaliya, ar, ولاية أرض البنط الصومالية), is a F ...
References
External links
Administrative map of Sool
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sool, Somalia
Regions of Somaliland