Somalia: Whether the Moorshe and any other distinct Reer Hamar groups closely resembles ethnic Somalis
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 20 September 2000 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SOM35361.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Somalia: Whether the Moorshe and any other distinct Reer Hamar groups closely resembles ethnic Somalis, 20 September 2000, SOM35361.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3df4beac10.html [accessed 4 June 2023] |
| 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. |
Catherine Besteman, professor of Anthropology at Colby College, Maine, and author of Unraveling Somalia: Race, Violence, and the Legacy of Slavery, stated that Somalis do not conceive themselves in terms of race and colour but rather in terms of ancestry and physical features. She also said that "it is perfectly possible for a Reer Hamar to be mistaken for a mainstream Somali and vice versa" (19 Sept. 2000).
In an article entitled, "Vulnerable Minorities in Somalia and Somaliland," Bernhard Helander, of the Department of Cultural Anthropology at Uppsala University, Sweden, states that
Both the Barwaani and the Reer Hamar often have a light complexion and a particular style of clothing. Female members of these groups are the only inhabitants in Somalia that traditionally wore veils. When living outside of their urban communities they are often identified as gibil cadde, "light-skinned." Neither the Reer nor Barawanis constitute homogenous social groups; internally they are subdivided and acknowledge and claim a large number of different origins (27 Mar. 1995).
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. Please see below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Besteman, Catherine, professor of Anthropology at Colby College, Maine; author of Unraveling Somalia: Race, Violence, and the Legacy of Slavery.
19 September 2000. Telephone interview.
Helander, Bernhard. 27 March 1995. "Vulnerable Minorities in Somalia and Somaliland." Uppsala: Uppsala University. (Compiled in Information Session on Country Conditions in Somalia, Toronto, 15 February 1996)
Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential [London]. 1999-2000.
Africa Research Bulletin [Oxford]. 1999-2000.
Horn of Africa Bulletin [Uppsala]. 1999-2000.
The Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris]. 1999-2000.
IRB Databases LEXIS/NEXIS
Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. 1999-2000.
Search engines including,
Mamma
Internet sites including,
Africa News
Relief Web
