Somalia: Language or dialect of the Reer Hamar and their cultural characteristics
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SOM29316.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Somalia: Language or dialect of the Reer Hamar and their cultural characteristics, 1 May 1998, SOM29316.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aac098.html [accessed 3 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi, in an article on minorities in Somalia found on the Internet (http://www.antro.uu.se//bh/nomadnet/diriye.html, 4 May 1998), claims that the Reer Hamar are the same as Benadiri and live traditionally on the Benadir coast. According to Abdullahi,
the Benadiri speak a Somali dialect commonly known as coastal Somali. They have a rich culture that has hardly been studied; their musical reportoire and popular songs are large ... they practice many traditional crafts such as weaving the allende cloth, which parallels in texture and artistry the kente cloth of West Africa, leatherwork, shoemaking, ivory carving, jewelry making and painting.
A political science professor, who specializes in Somalia and Somaliland politics, at the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, stated in a 1 May 1998 telephone interview with the Research Directorate, that the Reer Hamar may understand and speak Somali but they have their own languages which are akin to the Bantu languages and the Swahili language spoken on the East African coast of Mombasa in Kenya. He further stated that the Reer Hamar do not fall into the traditional Somali clan structure and do not have a clan-based social organization.
In a 5 May 1998 interview with the Research Directorate, a doctoral student,at York University, in Toronto, who specializes in the history of the Benadir people in Somalia corroborated this information. The doctoral student emphasized however, that the Reer Hamar are an urban people and although they do not fall within the traditional Somali clan structure, they have their own clan families. He further re-iterated that in terms of food, language, dress and culture, they are closer to the coastal Swahilis of Kenya than to the nomadic Somalis.
For additional information on the Reer Hamar, please consult the following Responses to Information Requests: SOM25446.E of 25 November 1996, SOM24908.E of 4 September 1996, SOM24663.E of 1 August 1996, SOM19731.E of 17 February 1995, and SOM19732.E of 8 February 1995, all of which are available at Regional Documentation Centres.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Doctoral student specializing in the history of the Benadir in Somalia, York University, Toronto. 4 May 1998. Telephone interview.
Political science professor specializing in Somalia and Somaliland politics, Holy Cross College, Worchester, Massachusetts. 1 May 1998. Telephone interview.
Mohamed Diriye Abdullahi. 4 May 1998. "Minorities of Somalia: Victims Forgotten Amid War and Chaos." (http://www.antro.uu.se//bh/nomadnet/diriye.html).
