Region
Badhan (Baran)
Badhan is a highland town in eastern Sanaag, about 1,095 m above sea level, claimed by both Somaliland and Puntland and run in practice by Puntland for many years. It is a centre for the Warsangali and for the eastern Sanaag area, with a branch of the Somali National University and an estimated 65,500 people.
Where it is
Badhan lies in eastern Sanaag at about 10.71°N, 48.33°E and 1,095 m above sea level (Wikidata). It sits on the road between the coastal town of Las Khorey and Erigavo, and roads are being built to link it with El Dahir and from there to the Bosaso–Qardho–Garowe highway (Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag).
Who runs it
Eastern Sanaag is claimed by both Somaliland and Puntland. Badhan has been run in practice by Puntland for many years, while Somaliland keeps a claim and has named its own mayor and governor for the town (Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag; Hoehne, Between Somaliland and Puntland, Rift Valley Institute 2015).
- Early 2000s: Somaliland named a "Badhan" region, while Puntland announced a Haylan region (Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag).
- 2007 to 2009: a Warsangali movement set up the Maakhir state (Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag).
- September 2019: Puntland forces arrested Somaliland's deputy governor for Badhan (Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag).
- January 2021: Puntland sent troops to stop Somaliland voter registration in the district (MENAFN).
- 25 May 2023: Puntland held local council elections in the town; the council elects the mayor (Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag).
People and work
UrbanStats estimates the population at about 65,500 from satellite images (Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag). Most people in and around Badhan are Warsangali, part of the Harti Darod, and the town hosts Warsangali clan meetings (Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag). Herding is the main work. In droughts herders move near water and water prices rise; in November 2005 BBC Somali reported very high water prices in the district (BBC Somali, 2005). A 2019 nutrition survey covered the district (Badhan SMART survey 2019).
History
- Before colonial rule the area was part of the Warsangali Sultanate (Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag).
- In the 1910s the Dervish forces of Mohammed Abdullah Hassan built a fort at Badhan (Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag; Marcus, appraisal of the Dervish state).
- In 1933 drought led the British to open a relief camp at Badhan for 2,500 to 3,000 people. In 1945 herders from Zeila to Badhan protested against anti-locust campaigns that used poisoned bait (Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag).
- In the 1970s floods led the Siad Barre government to move the people of Xubeera to Badhan, and the 1974–75 Dabadheer drought brought relief operations to the area (Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag).
- Warsangali areas around Badhan saw little fighting in the 1980s. Warsangali leaders took part in the conferences that founded Puntland in 1998 (Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag).
University and media
The Somali National University has a branch in Badhan, paid for partly by a $6 million grant from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to the federal government, with building managed by Puntland (Kuwait Fund). It announced its first programmes and admissions in September 2023 (Radio Muqdisho). Radio Daljir, Puntland State TV and SBC TV work in the town (Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag).
Sources
Sources
- Wikidata · wikidata.org
- Wikipedia: Badhan, Sanaag · en.wikipedia.org
- Hoehne, Between Somaliland and Puntland, Rift Valley Institute 2015 · reliefweb.int
- MENAFN · menafn.com
- BBC Somali, 2005 · bbc.com
- Badhan SMART survey 2019 · web.archive.org
- Marcus, appraisal of the Dervish state · wardheernews.com
- Kuwait Fund · kuwait-fund.org
- Radio Muqdisho · radiomuqdisho.net
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