Sanaag

Sanag (Somali: Sanaag, Arabic: سَنَاج) is an administrative region (gobol) in north eastern Somaliland.[3] Sanaag has a long coastline facing the Gulf of Aden to the north, and is bordered by the region of Sahil to the west, Sool to the south and Somalia to the east. The region is disputed by the self-declared Republic of Somaliland and Puntland, a Federal Member State of Somalia.[4][5][6][7][8][9] Its capital city is Erigavo. Sanaag is the largest region of Somaliland, accounting for 35% of Somaliland's total land area.[10]

Sanag
Sanaag (Somali)
سَنَاج (Arabic)
Region of Somaliland
Overview of the Cal Madow mountains in Sanaag
Overview of the Cal Madow mountains in Sanaag
Location in Somaliland
Location in Somaliland
Coordinates: 10°46′45″N 48°11′9″E
Country Somaliland
Administrative centreErigavo
Government
 • GovernorMahamed Elmi Hussein Ahmed[1]
Area
 • Total54,231 km2 (20,939 sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
HDI (2021)0.448[2]
low · 3rd of 18

The region is partially controlled by Puntland and Somaliland.[11][12] Puntland disputes the Harti inhabited parts of region as being part of Somaliland while the latter claims the entire region based on the British Somaliland boundaries.

Territorial dispute
Camel in Almadow Forest
Main article: Somaliland-Puntland dispute

The Sanaag region is disputed between Somaliland and Puntland. Somaliland effectively controls the western and central parts of Sanaag. Puntland has effective control over Badhan and other areas in the east.[11] Somaliland has declared its claim to all of Sanaag, but some areas (that it struggles to control) do not actually participate in Somaliland's elections.[13]

History
Ruins in Las Khorey

From 1944 to 1974, modern-day Sanaag region was one of three districts of the Burao region. The other two districts were Burao and Las Anod.[14][15] Sanaag was carved out of Togdheer region and was established as a separate region on June 23, 1973, comprising the three districts of Erigavo, Las Qorey and Garadag.[16]

Sanaag is home to numerous archaeological sites, with rock art, ancient ruins, buildings and cairns found at numerous sites, such as Gudmo Biyo Cas, Heis, Maydh, Haylan, Qa'ableh, Qombo'ul, Gelweita and El Ayo.[17] 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.[18]

Sanaag is also home to the ruined Islamic city of Maduna near El Afweyn, which is considered the most substantial and most accessible ruin of its type in Somaliland.[19][20] The main feature of the ruined city includes a large rectangular mosque, its 3 metre high walls still standing and which include a mihrab and possibly several smaller arched niches.[20] Swedish-Somali archaeologist Sada Mire dates the ruined city to the 15th–17th centuries.[21]

Environment

A severe drought in the region in the early part of the 21st century caused an 80% or greater loss of livestock, though two good rainy seasons in 2004–2005 helped restore the area. Over a 15-year period of analysis, from 1988 to 2003, there was a 52% loss of forest and a 40% loss of grassland, and a 370% increase in bare land. Soil erosion due to weather and human activities and clearing of wood and brush for such uses as charcoal and fuel are issues leading to a degradation of the environment.[22]

Economy

In recent history, the Sanaag region normally maintained a diverse economy, producing and then exporting to other regions, it produced livestock, frankincense, and leather for export, this was happening while the region lacked basic infrastructure, but sadly, after the outbreak of civil war the region's economy collapsed from loss of markets and dilapidated infrastructure has never helped, and lack of investment. Now the region only supports one main economy, livestock rearing. The Somali livestock ban imposed by Gulf countries in which was Sanaag's largest market has virtually destroyed the economy in the region, reducing purchasing power and forcing pastoralists in the region to survive on subsistence activities.[23]

Demographics

The region is mainly inhabited by people from the Somali ethnic group, principally the Habr Yunis and Habar Jeclo sub-clans of the Isaaq and the Dhulbahante and Warsangali sub-divisions of the Harti Darod.[24]

Districts
City, Town, Village in Sanaag.
Ae=Aelal, Ar=Armale, Aw=Awrboogays, Bad=Badhan, Bal=Bali busle, Bar=Baraakta Qol, Bu=Buraan, Dam=Damala Hagare, Dar=Dararweyne, Day=Dayaha, Dh=Dhahar, Eaw=El Afweyn, Eay=El Ayo, Elb=El Buh, Er=Erigavo, Fa=Fadhi Gab, Fi=Fiqifuliye, Ga=Garadag, Gud=Gudmo Biyo Cas, Guu=Guud Caanood, Hab=Habarshiro, Had=Hadaftimo, Hay=Haylan, He=Heis (town), Hi=Hingalol, Hu=Hulul, Ji=Jidali, Ko=Koolo, Laa=Laako, Las=Lasdure, LK=Las Khorey, Ma=Maydh, Mid=Midhisho, Min=Mindigale, Qa=Qaʽableh, Qo=Qombo'ul, Ru=Ruguda, Wa=Waqdariya, Yub=Yubbe, Yuf=Yufle

The region of Sanag is divided into 5 districts as follows:[25][26][27][28]

Towns and Cities

See also

References
  1. "Somaliland: President Bihi Announces Government Reshuffle". 11 September 2021.
  2. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  3. Regions of Somalia Archived October 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Completed Project". www.eth.mpg.de. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  5. "Are Somaliland, Puntland ready for war over land?". The East African. 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  6. "Somalia: No elections in disputed regions, Puntland says - Somalia". ReliefWeb. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  7. "Averting War in Northern Somalia". Crisis Group. 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  8. Mahmood, Omar S. (2019-11-01). "Overlapping Claims by Somaliland and Puntland: The Case of Sool and Sanaag". Africa Portal. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  9. ISSAfrica.org (2019-12-09). "The various layers to the Somaliland-Puntland discord". ISS Africa. Retrieved 2022-03-19.
  10. "Sanaag region nutrition survey report" (PDF). UNICEF: 6. September 2002.
  11. "The Puntland Speaker visiting Badhan district". Somali Dispatch. 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  12. Mahmood, Omar (2019). "Overlapping claims by Somaliland and Puntland: The case of Sool and Sanaag" (PDF). Institute for Security Studies: 13. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  13. Mahmood, Omar (2019). "Overlapping claims by Somaliland and Puntland: The case of Sool and Sanaag" (PDF). Institute for Security Studies: 13. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
  14. "Somalia (1988)". CIA. December 1988. Retrieved 21 February 2007.
  15. "Development map, roads, 1944". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2022-03-17.
  16. "Faafin rasmi ah ee Jumhuriyadda Dimuqradika Somaliya | CRL Digital Delivery System". ddsnext.crl.edu. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  17. Mire, Sada (2015-04-14). "Mapping the Archaeology of Somaliland: Religion, Art, Script, Time, Urbanism, Trade and Empire". African Archaeological Review. 32 (1): 111–136. doi:10.1007/s10437-015-9184-9. ISSN 0263-0338.
  18. Michael Hodd, East African Handbook, (Trade & Travel Publications: 1994), p.640.
  19. Dev, Bradt Guides. "Maduna ruins". Bradt Guides. Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  20. Briggs, Philip (2012). Somaliland : with Addis Ababa & Eastern Ethiopia. Chalfont St. Peter, Bucks, England: Bradt Travel Guides. pp. 128–129. ISBN 978-1-84162-371-9. OCLC 766336307.
  21. "Somaliland: archaeology in a breakaway state | Sada Mire". Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  22. "Environmental Study of Degradation in the Sool Plateau and Gebi Valley: Sanaag Region of Northern Somalia" (PDF). Horn Relief. February 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2007.
  23. "Account Suspended". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  24. Gebrewold, Belachew (2013-03-28). Anatomy of Violence: Understanding the systems of conflict and violence in Africa. Ashgate Publishing Ltd. p. 130. ISBN 9781409499213. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  25. "NEC Starts to release Provisional Results of 5 electoral districts". Somaliland Standard. 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-08-04.
  26. "Somaliland President Imposes State-of-Emergency to Sanaag Region". www.somaliland.com. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  27. "The Somali conflict: Part V: Somaliland: peace-building: 5. Shir Nabadeedka ee Sanaag: 'The Sanaag grand peace and reconciliation conference'". www.nzdl.org. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  28. "Factors influencing of Somali Women Entrepreneurs in Puntland State: A case study of Baran and Dhahar Districts, Sanaag Region".
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