Have you ever thought about how two clans could determine the history of a whole region? That is what the Ogaden and Shambara clans of southern Somalia did. Their wars, commerce, and peace missions made an indelible impression on Jubaland. They had a reputation for being good traders, and this enabled them to establish cordial working relations with the neighboring countries. This has helped them to prosper financially and influenced their cultural ways. These two were the most dominant clans in colonial Somalia. They were on a border which was inhabited by Afmadow and Goshaland. Herding of livestock in the Afmadow district was the main activity of the Ogaden clan. Going to the Gosha district, the Shambara clan specialized in agriculture. Though the two clans had varied lifestyles, they both contributed largely to the history of southern Somalia. This essay explores the historical context of the Ogaden and Shambara wars of Jubaland. It also emphasizes the influence of the regional power, the influence of external forces, and its enduring presence in the Horn of Africa.
The ancient war between the Ogaden and Shambara tribes, which are mainly located in the border areas of Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya, is about the grazing land, water rights, and the historical grazing boundary. These conflicts have intensified over the centuries, and in most cases, they lead to violent clashes over resources of pastoralist subsistence. These conflicts have, over the past decades, been made difficult by geopolitical interests whereby these clans at times coincide with regional governments or the separatist movements. The violence is normally related to livestock resistance and border conflicts that result in massive displacement. Although there have been sporadic peace negotiations, resource rivalry has been keeping the conflict alive, at times erupting into very vicious communal violence.
The emergence of the Gosha state brought about a huge economic strife between the two clans. Nasib Bunda had a number of objectives when he took the position of the head of the Gosha state. His desire was to increase trade and increase exports of ivory, grain, and cotton. To secure his resources, he purchased guns from the Sultan of Zanzibar, Sayid Bargash. This action assisted the Gosha people to counter the raiding clan of the Ogaden. The Gosha was also used to the advantage of the Sultan of Zanzibar when it came to the arming against the Ogaden. Ogaden had attacked trade ports and expressed resistance to the Zanzibar power. So, the issue of providing the Gosha with weapons was beneficial to the political and economic interests of the Sultan. To the Gosha, survival was the greatest need in their conflict with the Ogaden. The war with the Ogaden pastoralists turned out to be among the most significant traditions of the Gosha oral history. This led to competition and tension between the two clans as the Gosha economy grew. Ogaden was also insecure about the growing influence of the Gosha state. Therefore, they chose to destroy the Gosha state before it became so powerful.
Due to early Ogaden raids, Shambara agricultural villages suffered a lot. Initially, the Shambara were at a great disadvantage against the raids that the Ogaden conducted. The Ogaden also unleashed their cattle on the farms of Shambara, destroying food and crops. Additionally, they would also kidnap civilians in the villages during such attacks. These attacks were broken down by brief ceasefires, yet the violence never stopped. Certain Gosha villagers attempted to retaliate, but their attempts just complicated the situation. Reports about the constant attacks were made by the villagers to Sultan Nasib Bunda, seeking his intervention. The Sultan pledged to deploy forces to ensure that the Gosha villages were not damaged further. Additionally, Sultan Nasib Bunda started training armies to prepare them to have a decisive battle. He desired to defend his land and strengthen his power on the land. The conflicts in the early days proved that a major military encounter between the clans was inevitable.
The military conflict between the clans of the Ogaden and the Shambara was characterized by three large battles. The initial battle was held close to the town of Nasib Bunda, and it was severe. Due to the heavy force and intelligent tactics of Bunda, the Ogaden were compelled to surrender. Nevertheless, they were able to receive and organize another battle. The second battle was more to the south and in the vicinity of the town of Shungul Mafula and lasted all day long. The Ogaden leader amassed more forces and prepared to have a final showdown with the Shambara. The Shambara forces were led very courageously by Nasib Bunda and Shungul Mafula. In this battle, the Shambara had a number of significant advantages compared to the Ogaden. First, they were highly trained when compared to the Ogaden fighters. Second, they possessed better arms, such as shotguns, bows, and arrows. Third, the Shambara were familiar with the forest terrain, whereas the Ogaden were not. Consequently, the second fight resulted in an easy win by the Shambara tribe. The Ogaden had no access to the Gosha area, and hence, they could not easily survive. These initial conquests demonstrated that the Shambara were a serious and competent army.
A peace treaty was declared between the clans, but this did not last long. In the Gosha state, a respected preacher called Sheikh Murjan came to the state to teach Islam. The Ogaden leader, however, requested his assistance in negotiating a peace treaty instead. Sheikh Murjan agreed and went to Nasib Bunda in order to take the terms of peace. Initially, Nasib Bunda did not like the mission and was not eager to consent. Sheikh Murjan persuaded the Gosha leader eventually, and the two prayed together to bring peace. Murjan had smashed a rosary and scattered the prayer beads on the floor. There were three significant conditions that both sides were supposed to follow in the peace treaty. To begin with, the Ogaden were permitted their road to trade and even water their livestock. Second, in case someone crossed to the other side, he/she should be taken home safely. Third, unintentional murders were compensated by blood money rather than vengeance and additional combat. Regrettably, the peace arrangement collapsed quite soon as a result of the struggle for power among the clans in the Ogaden. The organiser of the truce, Murgan-bin-Yusuf of the Ogaden, desired personal power and control. The peace was prematurely ended by his ambition, and left the two clans at open war once again. The biggest armies were then assembled by the Ogaden leader to invade the Gosha people. This collapsed because it proved that long-term peace cannot be achieved by mere words and prayers among the rivals.
In the 1890s, the third and final battle at Fagan finally put an end to the long struggle. The difference with this battle was that the other Gosha clans were allies of the Shambara forces. Nasib Bunda alternated his methods of war in order to defeat the fighters of the Ogaden. He separated his army into two categories with strategies and setups. The former group was centered on defense, and the latter was aggressive. This was a clever move that presented the Shambara with a significant edge on the battlefield that day. The second Ogaden group was besieged without any means after having fought a long day with fierce fighting. Murgan-bin-Yusuf, their war chief, was killed in a battle by Shungul Mafula himself. The Ogaden army was aware that they could not triumph, and there was no place they could run. They gave up and pleaded for mercy and requested that the Shambara leave them alone. Their cry touched the Gosha army, who decided to allow the Ogaden to go home in peace. The soldiers of Ogaden swore that they would never take up arms ever again against the Shambara. Since that day, the region of Gosha has not seriously threatened by the al-Ogaden side. This last war taught that a powerful leadership with unity will be able to bring permanent peace to a territory.
The success of the military of the Shambara led by Sultan Nasib Bunda transformed the balance of power in the region in a total manner. The victories in Fagan caused the neighboring clans to start to fear the Shambara and respect them. The woodland realm of the Shambara was symbolized as a strong and hard place to attack. This emerging status permitted the Shambara to be able to consolidate power against the other community with a lot of ease. Sultan Nasib Bunda, or Nasibu Mpundo, emerged as a very reputable and feared leader. He had a reputation way beyond Jubaland for good judgments and good character. Additionally, the increased military power of the Shambara aroused the interest of the Italian colonialists. The Italians started to move against the increasing influence of Nasib Bunda in the area. They had the fear that his military abilities would disrupt their colonial schemes in southern Somalia. Additionally, the power of the Shambara affected the way in which the colonial power dealt with the local politics of the different clans in general. They were able to last for years under their cohesiveness and perseverance against both clan champions and colonialism. Their power still has an influence on the relationship between the clans in the Horn of Africa today.
Jubaland was severely affected by the wars between the Ogaden and Shambara clans. These wars started due to the economic rivalry between herders and farmers in southern Somalia. The act of the Sultan of Zanzibar to arm the Gosha instead just heightened the tensions. The war was decided by three great battles around Nasib Bunda, Shungul Mafula, and Fagan. The victories of the Shambara were due to superior weapons, understanding of the terrain, and good leadership. Sheikh Murjan's peace effort ended up failing because of internal power struggles in the area of Ogaden. However, the ultimate triumph of the Shambara changed the political situation of the whole Jubaland region. Their superiority drew the attention of the Italian colonialists and formed new forms of external intervention. These trends of war and intervention continue to shape politics in the Horn of Africa even nowadays. The Ogaden and Shambara clan story brings valuable lessons concerning power, survival, and togetherness. Probably, knowledge of this history will enable the future generation to establish more sustainable peace in Somalia. The most significant thing is to study the past to have a better and more stable place in the future.
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