Hargeisa
Hargeisa
Hargeysa ( Arabic) | |
---|---|
UTC+3 (EAT) | |
Area code | +252 |
Website | dhhgov.org |
Hargeisa (
Hargeisa was founded as a watering and trading stop between the coast and the interior by the
Hargeisa is situated in a valley in the Galgodon (Ogo) highlands, and sits at an elevation of 1,334 m (4,377 ft). Home to rock art from the Neolithic period, the city is also a commercial hub for precious stone-cutting, construction, retail services and trading, among other activities.[4]
Etymology
The town evolved in the latter half of the 1800s as a Qadiriyya settlement established by Sheikh Madar, near a water-stop used by nomadic stock-herders on the way to the town of Harar. It proposes a possible derivation of the name "Hargeisa" from the sobriquet Harar as-sagir, meaning "Harar the little"[9][10] According to historian Norman Bennett, Madar named the settlement Hargeisa or Little Harar since he aspired for it to emulate the city of Harar as a center for Islamic teachings.[11] Another etymological root for Hargeisa's name derives from the towns connection to the skins trade. Hargeisa has been a watering and trading stop between the coast and the interior, and chief amongst the goods traded were the hide skins procured from the interior to be processed in the settlement. In this etymological version, 'Hargeisa' is derived from hargageys, which means "place to sell hides and skins" in Somali.[12][13][14]
History
Prehistory
Numerous
The rock art had been known to the area's inhabitants for centuries before the French discovery. However, the existence of the site had not been broadcast to the international community. In November 2003, a mission returned to Laas Geel and a team of experts undertook a detailed study of the paintings and their prehistoric context.
Somaliland generally is home to numerous such archaeological sites, with similar rock art and/or ancient edifices such as the Dhambalin rock art. However, many of these old structures have yet to be properly explored, a process which would help shed further light on local history and facilitate their preservation for posterity.[16]
The Big Commune & Sheikh Madar
According to traditional poetic (gabay) oral accounts, Hargeisa was founded by the Eidagale as a watering and trading stop for passing nomads and caravans. It is believed that and the Habar Yoonis and the Arap subtribes were amongst the early settlers of Hargeisa.[17] Hargeisa continued to grow with the arrival of Sheikh Madar Shirwa, widely considered to be the founder of Hargeisa religious commune and the modern iteration of the settlement.[18][19]
Madar Shirwa was born in
H. Swayne, a British soldier and explorer who traversed the Somali peninsula between the 1880-1890s wrote about Hargeisa in his journals:
This town is built some five hundred yards from the right bank of the Aleyadera nala, and at an elevation of thirty or forty feet above it. Round the place is a patch of jowari (sorghum) cultivation, two and a half miles long and a quarter of a mile broad. Quantities of livestock of all kinds graze on the low undulating hills for half a mile from the Aleyadera nala on either bank. Hargeisa is situated on two important caravan routes, one from Ogaden and the other from Harar. There are good direct camel-roads to Berbera and Bulhar. Supplies of rice, tobacco, and dates can sometimes be bought here in the trading season. Some four hundred people are employed looking after the jowari fields, and may be seen sitting on platforms, shouting and throwing stones to scare birds from the crops. There is abundance of good water in the bed of the river, and a masonry well has been built, and is kept in order by an Arab from Aden. The town is full of blind and lame people, who are under the protection of Sheikh Mattar and his mullahs.[26]
British Somaliland
In 1888, after signing successive treaties with the then ruling
The capital was moved from Berbera to Hargeisa, and the city was granted capital status in 1941. During the
The protectorate gained its independence on 26 June 1960 as the State of Somaliland,[29][30] before uniting as planned days later with the Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic.[8]
1960–1991
In the post-independence period, Hargeisa was administered as the capital of the
SNM offensive
On 31 May, at 2:15 a.m, the Somali National Movement (shortened SNM) attacked Hargeisa. With two Habar yunis leaders, one in Burco and the other in the capital city Hargeisa.[34] The SNM force attacking Hargeisa was estimated at 500 men equipped with 84 vehicles, of whom only 14 were left due to vehicles being sent to the front in Adadley.[35] The SNM captured the headquarters of the 26th Division, as well as capturing the Birjeex arms depot where the SNM collected ammunition.[35] An SNM fighter who partook in the Hargeisa offensive described Somali troops dropping their uniforms on the ground and fleeing.[35] The SNM encountered stiff resistance from the Somali Army as they surrounded Radio Hargeisa's headquarters.[35] Due to heavy bombardment from Somali heavy artillery and tanks, the SNM force tasked with capturing Hargeisa airport fell back and retreated to Adadley.[35]
By 1 June, with the exception of Hargeisa Airport, the SNM overran the city.[36] During the Somali army counterattack the SNM line of defense in the city was behind Hargeisa's radio station.[34]
Hargeisa campaign
Dictator Siad Barre's response to the SNM attacks was of unparalleled brutality; with explicit aims of handling the "Isaaq problem", he ordered "the shelling and aerial bombardment of the major cities in the northwest and the systematic destruction of Isaaq dwellings, settlements and water points. In one of the most brutal episodes of the
Reconstruction
After the collapse of the Somali central government and the unilateral declaration of independence of the Republic of Somaliland, a slow process of infrastructural reconstruction subsequently began in Hargeisa and other towns in the country.
Since 1991, Hargeisa has undergone a large-scale facelift. The renovations have been largely financed by local entrepreneurs, as well as Somali expatriates sending remittance funds to relatives in the region through some of the various Somali-owned money transfer operators.[40] Most of the destroyed residential and commercial buildings have since been reconstructed, with many newer structures erected. Single-storey buildings downtown are also progressively giving way to multi-storey high-rises.
Climate
Hargeisa has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh). The city generally features very warm winters and hot summers. However, despite its location in the tropics, due to the high altitude Hargeisa seldom experiences either very hot or very cold weather, a trait rarely seen in semi-arid climates. The city receives the bulk of its rain between the months of April and September, averaging just over 400 millimetres (16 in) of rainfall annually. Average monthly temperatures in Hargeisa range from 18 °C or 64.4 °F in the months of December and January to 24 °C or 75.2 °F in the month of June.
Climate data for Hargeisa | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 31.1 (88.0) |
31.7 (89.1) |
32.8 (91.0) |
32.8 (91.0) |
35.0 (95.0) |
33.9 (93.0) |
33.9 (93.0) |
33.3 (91.9) |
32.8 (91.0) |
31.7 (89.1) |
30.6 (87.1) |
28.9 (84.0) |
35.0 (95.0) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 24.2 (75.6) |
26.6 (79.9) |
28.7 (83.7) |
29.2 (84.6) |
30.5 (86.9) |
31.0 (87.8) |
29.2 (84.6) |
29.2 (84.6) |
30.5 (86.9) |
28.2 (82.8) |
26.0 (78.8) |
23.7 (74.7) |
28.1 (82.6) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.7 (63.9) |
18.7 (65.7) |
21.6 (70.9) |
23.0 (73.4) |
24.1 (75.4) |
24.3 (75.7) |
23.6 (74.5) |
23.6 (74.5) |
23.6 (74.5) |
24.1 (75.4) |
18.7 (65.7) |
18.0 (64.4) |
21.7 (71.1) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.6 (52.9) |
12.6 (54.7) |
15.0 (59.0) |
16.6 (61.9) |
17.7 (63.9) |
17.7 (63.9) |
17.1 (62.8) |
17.1 (62.8) |
17.1 (62.8) |
15.0 (59.0) |
13.1 (55.6) |
12.1 (53.8) |
15.2 (59.4) |
Record low °C (°F) | 2.8 (37.0) |
2.8 (37.0) |
3.9 (39.0) |
9.4 (48.9) |
11.7 (53.1) |
11.7 (53.1) |
10.5 (50.9) |
11.1 (52.0) |
11.1 (52.0) |
7.2 (45.0) |
4.4 (39.9) |
4.4 (39.9) |
2.8 (37.0) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 2 (0.1) |
2 (0.1) |
36 (1.4) |
53 (2.1) |
49 (1.9) |
61 (2.4) |
38 (1.5) |
81 (3.2) |
61 (2.4) |
20 (0.8) |
8 (0.3) |
1 (0.0) |
412 (16.2) |
Average rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 61 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
65 | 65 | 58 | 57 | 56 | 55 | 53 | 53 | 55 | 56 | 61 | 64 | 58 |
Average dew point °C (°F) | 11 (52) |
12 (54) |
12 (54) |
15 (59) |
15 (59) |
14 (57) |
15 (59) |
16 (61) |
15 (59) |
12 (54) |
12 (54) |
11 (52) |
13 (56) |
Mean daily sunshine hours | 8.9 | 9.8 | 9.7 | 11.2 | 11.9 | 12.1 | 11.8 | 12.2 | 11.4 | 9.6 | 8.7 | 7.6 | 10.4 |
Percent possible sunshine | 80 | 73 | 80 | 73 | 64 | 73 | 64 | 64 | 73 | 80 | 80 | 80 | 74 |
Source 1: Food and Agriculture Organization: Somalia Water and Land Management (temperatures, humidity and percent sunshine)[41][42] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (extremes and precipitation)[43]
Time and Date (dewpoints, 2005-2015)[44] Weather Atlas (daily sun hours)[45] |
Administration
Situated in the Maroodi Jeh region of Somaliland, Hargeisa is the seat of the Somaliland's Parliament, the presidential palace, and government ministries.[46]
The first mayor of Hargeisa in 1960 was Aadan Cumar fure, who held the position from 1950-1959. The current municipal administration is led by Abdikarim Ahmed Mooge. A member of the Waddani party, he was elected the Mayor during the 2021 Somaliland municipal elections.[47][48]
Districts
According to a more recent December 2017 report from the Social Research and Development Institute (SORADI) based in Hargeisa, the city divided into eight sub-districts; being the 31 May, 26 June, Ahmed Dhagah, Ahmed Moallim Haruun, Gacan Libaax, Ibrahim Kodbuur, Mohamoud Haibe, and Mohamed Moge Districts.[49] This information is contradictory to an April 2003 report by the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), which states only five sub-districts exist: being the 26 June, Ahmed Dhagah, Gacan Libaax, Ibrahim Kodbuur, and Mohamoud Haibe sub-districts, each having between four and six sub-sections of their own.[50] Presumably a redistricting occurred sometime between 2004 and 2017.[49]
Each sub-district has their own elected council members, whose responsibility is to represent their district and fulfil their populations needs.[49] To increase the effectiveness of these sub-districts, especially underrepresented ones such as Gacan Libaax, a so-called "accountability forum" has been established to discuss and create policy to better represent marginalized communities.[49]
Demographics
Hargeisa has grown rapidly since the middle of the 20th century. According to
Economy
Hargeisa is the financial hub to many entrepreneurial industries ranging from finance, retail, imports/export warehouses to gem cutters, construction, food processing, textiles and livestock trading.
In June 2012, the Partnership Fund for the private sector in Somaliland was launched at Hargeisa's Ambassador Hotel. Part of the larger Partnership for Economic Growth program, the initiative will see $900,000 USD allocated to 13 private local businesses, as well as the creation of 250 new full-time jobs, half of which are to be earmarked for youth and one third for women. The fund is expected to improve job opportunities for 1,300 entrepreneurs through ameliorated product distribution and investment in new technologies and processing facilities. Eligibility is determined through a competitive and transparent selection process overseen by the Partnership program, the Somaliland Chamber of Commerce, and government officials.[59]
Transportation
Buses are the most commonly used form of public transportation in Hargeisa. They travel on a number of routes serving nearly all of the city's districts. Intercity bus services are also available, which connect Hargeisa to other major cities and towns across Somaliland, including Burao, Berbera and Borama.
With the growth of urban development, several new taxi companies have sprung up in Hargeisa.[60]
Hargeisa Taxi is another of the recent taxi firms based in Hargeisa. It has a fleet of four small compact cars and seven passenger minivans, in addition to around 19 other vehicles. GPS devices installed by the Sahal Technology firm allow the cab company's dispatch office to monitor its taxis to ensure that they travel within the speed limit. The office can also disable the vehicles online in the event of theft. Other new taxi firms serving Hargeisa include Dalhis Taxi and Marodi Jeh Taxi. Fares are inexpensive, costing between 15,000 and 18,000 Somaliland shillings ($2–$3 USD) per ride,[60] the US dollar is also widely accepted alongside the local currency.[61]
International Airport
For air transportation, the city is served by the
Education
Various primary schools and nurseries are located in Hargeisa. There are several state-run and privately owned secondary and high schools in the city. Among these are the SOS Sheikh Secondary School, Abaarso School of Science and Technology, Hargeisa Technical School, Salaama Secondary School, and Smart Secondary School, the latter of which is the pre-eminent secondary institution in the area, about 13 km (8 mi) west of Hargeisa.
The city is home to a number of colleges and universities including the
See also
References
- ^ "Duqa cusub ee magaalada Hargeysa oo la doortay". 17 June 2021.
- ^ "Somaliland: AbdiKarim Ahmed Mooge Sworn in as the New Mayor of Hargeisa". 17 June 2021. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ https://www.thebrenthurstfoundation.org/downloads/hargeisa_discussion-paper-04-2019-hargeisa-somaliland-invisible-city.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ a b "Hargeisa". Jubba Airways. Archived from the original on January 22, 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
- ^ "Somalia: largest cities and towns and statistics of their population". world-gazetteer.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2012. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
- ^ Einashe, Ismail; Kennard, Matt (22 October 2018). "In the Valley of Death: Somaliland's Forgotten Genocide". The Nation. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- ISBN 9780932415974.
- ^ a b Encyclopædia Britannica, The New Encyclopædia Britannica, (Encyclopædia Britannica: 2002), p.835
- ^ Encyclopaedia Britannica: A New Survey of Universal Knowledge. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1957. p. 967.
- ISBN 9783447052382.
- ^ Bennett, Norman (1968). Leadership in Eastern Africa. Boston University Press. p. 70. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
- ^ Haji Mukhtar., M (2003). Historical Dictionary of Somalia. Scarecrow Press. p. 98.
- ^ Gabriel Schnitzer., J (1927). Hides and Skins: World Production and International Trade. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 145.
- ISBN 9789777287289.
- ^ The Journal of African Archeology Volume 1.2 (2003) Chapter 3
- ^ Michael Hodd, East African Handbook, (Trade & Travel Publications: 1994), p.640.
- ^ "The history of Hargeisa City as per documentary from U- Tube taken live frtom Hagi Abdi Hussen (Abdi Waraabe) commented by Dr. Mohamed Rashid sheik Hassan (An Ex-BBC Somali broadcaster)". Salaan Media. 2015-02-18. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
- ISBN 9781841623719.
- ^ "South Asia Bulletin". University of California, Los Angeles. 16 (2): 88. 1996. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- ^ Abubaker, Abdulmalik. The relevance of Harari values (PDF). University of Alabama. p. 151.
- Kabir Khalil, the Kabir Yunis, and the Shaykh Jami: the two former scarcely ever quit their houses, devoting all their time to study and tuition: the latter is a Somali who takes an active part in politics. These professors teach Moslem literature through the medium of Harari, a peculiar dialect confined within the walls"
- ^ Burton. F., Richard (1856). First Footsteps in East Africa. p. 360.
- ^ Abdurahman., A (2017). Making Sense of Somali History. Adonis and Abbey. p. 80.
- ^ "Leadership in Eastern Africa". African Research Studies (9): 70. 1968.
- ^ WSP Transition Programme, War-torn Societies Project (2005). Rebuilding Somaliland: Issues and Possibilities, Volume 1. Red Sea Press. p. 214.
- ^ Carlos-Swayne, Harald (1900). Seventeen Trips Through Somaliland and a Visit to Abyssinia. p. 96.
- ^ Hugh Chisholm (ed.), The encyclopædia britannica: a dictionary of arts, sciences, literature and general information, Volume 25, (At the University press: 1911), p.383.
- ISBN 9780367868840.
- ^ "Somaliland Marks Independence After 73 Years of British Rule" (fee required). The New York Times. 1960-06-26. p. 6. Archived from the original on 2011-07-17. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
- ^ "How Britain said farewell to its Empire". BBC News. 2010-07-23. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25.
- ^ "Close Residents of Somaliland sit under a war memorial of a MiG fighter jet in the centre of town in Hargeisa". Reuters. 19 May 2013. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
- .
- ^ Economist Intelligence Unit (Great Britain), Country report: Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, (The Unit: 1986), p.43.
- ^ a b Somalia: A Government at War With Its Own People (PDF). Human Rights Watch. 1990. pp. 137, 145.
- ^ from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- ISBN 978-0-313-31333-2.
- ^ Reinl, James. "Investigating genocide in Somaliland". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
- ISBN 978-1-59033-265-8.
- ^ Geldenhuys, p.131
- ^ "UK Somali Remittances Survey" (PDF). diaspora-centre.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 June 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- ^ "Climate of Somalia" (PDF). Food and Agriculture Organization. pp. 69–73. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Long term mean monthly sunshine fraction in Somalia". Food and Agriculture Organization. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Klimatafel von Hargeisa / Somalia" (PDF). Baseline climate means (1961–1990) from stations all over the world (in German). Deutscher Wetterdienst. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
- ^ "Climate & Weather Averages in Hargeisa, Somalia". Time and Date. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ "Monthly weather forecast and climate in Hargeisa, Somalia". Weather Atlas. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ Hargeisa City Hall Archived 2013-01-16 at archive.today. Retrieved on 2012-10-17. (2000 est.)
- ^ "Duqa cusub ee magaalada Hargeysa oo la doortay". VOA (in Somali). 17 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
- ^ "History made in Somaliland as minority candidate, son of former singer scoop more votes". Garowe Online. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
- ^ a b c d Understanding the Hargeisa Local Council System 'Phase 2' (PDF) (Report). Social Research and Development Institute. December 2017. p. 18. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- ^ King, Alexandra; Mohamed, Abdi Musa; Addou, Sidow Ibrahim (24 April 2003). Hargeisa Urban Household Economy Assessment | February – March 2003 (PDF) (Report). Famine Early Warning Systems Network. p. 14. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
- S2CID 245909931.
- ISBN 978-0-230-27061-9.
- ISBN 978-1-84545-832-4.
- ISBN 978-1-56432-231-9.
- ISBN 978-1-4833-7155-9.
- ^ "OCHA" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-09-25. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
- ^ a b "Somalia". The World Factbook. Langley, Virginia: Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
- ^ Kilcullen, David (2019). Hargeisa, Somaliland – Invisible City. The Brenthurst Foundation.
- ^ "USAID launches the first grants program for the private sector in Somaliland". USAID. Archived from the original on February 18, 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
- ^ a b Dahir, Barkhad (20 December 2012). "Taxi companies in Hargeisa create jobs, ease travel". Sabahi. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
- ^ "Following Mobile Money in Somaliland | Rift Valley Institute". riftvalley.net. Retrieved 2020-11-01.
- ^ "Discover the City of Hargeisa - flydubai". flydubai. Archived from the original on 20 December 2017. Retrieved 30 April 2018.