Rer Caabudwaaq of central Somalia|eastern Ethiopia are fully geocoded for the first time in history.

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Some of these places have never even been placed on a map.

I have geocoded them on the land in person. It is a project I undertook while visiting Caabudwaaq as part of an almost year-long sabbatical traveling from Berbera to Mandera.

Brief note these are settlements where Rer Caabudwaaq settle almost overwhelmingly but there is not a place I would say is 100% setteled by them or a boundary line I would say is theirs alone. Three points on this;

1. Even Caabudwaaq town is not 100% Marehan. There are other Somalis and especially Tumaal/Madhibaan and even Somali Bantu & Digil-Mirifle communities who are now settled community members.

2. There is no exclusive boundary owned by rer Caabudwaaq it is arguing as, for example, Dir/Fiqi Muxumed live inside Rer Caabudwaaq with their own deegaan (Xeraale, Huurshe).

3. The periphery towns like Dhudhub, Galadi, Lahelow, and Caleen are not even majority rer Caabudwaaq, but are localities where rer Caabudwaaq live as important settlers. For example, Mama Malyuun in Galaadi identifies in many videos from Galadi that Rer Caabudwaaq (Celi primarily and Wagardhac) make up 1/4 of neighborhoods in Galadi and the Caabudwaaq Ugaas is documented in many trips visiting Caleen and Lahelow at the invitation of Rer Caabudwaaq (Rer Cusmaan) who requested his presence.

But generally, this is the extent of land where otherwise Rer Caabudwaaq are "deegaan" in central Somalia and eastern Ethiopia!

It was a beautiful experience to be crisscrossing this land geocoding Rer Caabudwaaq completely!

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Two of the interesting parts of the 3 parts of the geocode concerning a personal project of my own;

The oldest geocode of Rer Caabudwaaq of central tableland in historical record;



The Bur region of Rer Caabudwaaq, the absolute heart of their historical "grazing" land;

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For Sbashi who asked what a potential boundary for this community looks like, this is unscientific, but the most accurate I would say having removed Caleen/Lahelow in West, Galaadi in north, Xerale, Huurshe, and Hananburo in central Abudwaaq and Guriceel suburbs of Balanbale starting with old "Oodaale"/new Xirsi Lugeey and everything east.

Everything in this boundary is almost completely 100% Marehan if it weren't for people living in Marehan settlements who are not Marehan like Tumaal, Madhibaan, Maay-speaking folks, intermarriage, extended relatives, etc.

In the past there used to be an indigenous Majerten/rer Bicidyahan and Majerten/Wabeeneeye community of Caabudwaaq but they left during the SSDF vs Siad thing.

So today there is really no other indigenous "community" living in the midst of Marehan when you account for Dir having grouped in Xeraale which I removed.

So this;

[Phinks]

You make an interesting point, funny how we don't know exactly where MX reside in Ethiopia, or even other Darood/Non-Darood clans, with the way things are talked about, you'd think it's primarily 90% inhabited by Ogaden. Somali region in Ethiopia is so diverse it's mind boggling. Imagine my surprise finding out there are MX living as far as Libaan Zone.

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You make an interesting point, funny how we don't know exactly where MX reside in Ethiopia, or even other Darood/Non-Darood clans, with the way things are talked about, you'd think it's primarily 90% inhabited by Ogaden. Somali region in Ethiopia is so diverse it's mind boggling. Imagine my surprise finding out there are MX living as far as Libaan Zone.

Not just "live" in Liban, they own 1 of the 4 woreda/districts of Liban--Deka Suftu







Deka Suftu is 1 of the 4 districts of Liban along with Filtu, Boqol Mayo, Dolo Odo.

Marehan are the overwhelming majority if Deka Suftu and 2nd largest group in Filtu, with sizable numbers in the other two.

Deka Suftu is also the closest Somali district to Nageyle--in fact, a suburb of Nageyle.

Marehan/rer Hassan but including a number of other Marehan from Dawa region live in towns such as Deka (capital of Deka Suftu), Awbarre, Takadhagar, Galuun, etc.

With regards to eastern Somali Region bordering central Somalia, Jigjiga has held out long enough pushing forward the due date for recognizing Marehan districts there, but it is fast approaching expiration date.

If the hope was give time to push Marehan east towards the border, that ship long sailed. Marehan not only cannot be pushed, but has retaken land both east and west showing the post 1991 injuries have fully healed.

Our districts will be recognized, it is a matter of when at this point with Jigjiga.

Somali Region has always been Somali region for a reason.

Look at the source I provided of the oldest geocode of Marehan from 1863. That's Lahelow today.

[BigBreak]

Abudwak

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Abudwak