THE SOMALI BANTU PEOPLE // 10 SHOCKING FACTS
#somalia #somalibantu #somalis #jareer #jareerweyne #mogadishu #hargeisa #factsaboutsomalia
Hi and welcome to the series on African tribes where I attempt to present facts about the various tribes of Africa. On one my recent expeditions on the web I came across a group that hardly anybody talks or knows about; especially here in Kenya. They speak Somali, their culture is Somali, they are mostly Muslim, they listen to Somali music and are Somali is every facet of life, but are not genetically Somali.
And these are the Bantu Somalis or in a more apt description, Somalis of Bantu extraction. Their story is truly sad and tragic. Their history and present reality in Somali made me weep for them, for it is full of misfortune. To be treated differently just because of hair texture and other superficial physical traits is quite unfortunate, yet these people have endured through it all with a steady resilience. Here are 10 facts about the Bantu Somalis you probably didn’t know.
1. The Somali Bantus are an ethnic group from Somalia, largely from the Shebelle and Jubba River valleys, in the South-western part of the country. They are the descendants of many Bantu ethnic groups primarily from the Niger-Congo region of Africa. Brought to Somalia in the 19th century by Arab slave traders, Bantus endured centuries of oppression in the horn of Africa as agricultural labourers.
2. Somali Bantu are primarily Muslim in their belief and practices. Women cover their arms and legs and wear the “hijab” (head covering) in public—and in the presence of unrelated males at home—this reflects the values of modesty and purity.
3. Bantu families often claimed membership in three of Somalia’s five major clans: Darood, Rahanweyn, and Hawiye clans. The objective behind this these efforts to integrate within the ethnic Somali clan system are so as to seek protection and alliances to further their collective interests.
4. During the civil war in Somalia, Somali Bantus were one of the m
