In 1884 the British established an agreement with local elderly leaders, this agreement became known as the British Somaliland protectorate. By 1899, they created a small military which suffered a heavy defeat by 1913 under the Mad Mullah, a religious fanatic which had more than 20, 000 horsemen and thousands more followers.
In 1914 the British created what become known as the Somaliland Camel Corps to maintain orders in Somaliland which grew to include some 700 mounted riders. In that same period, they made four major expeditions into territories controlled by the Mad Mullah but failed to capture him.
However in 1920, the Somaliland Camel Corps along with British Royal Air force’s Z force, elements from the 2nd (Nyasaland) Battalion and 6th (Somaliland) Battalion of the King’s African Rifles (KAR), Somaliland Police and an Indian battalion launched the final and fifth expedition and finally defeated the Mad Mullah. The mission was dubbed “The wave”.
In the 1930s, the Corps numbered 14 British officers, 400 African Askaris, and 150 African Reservists.
In 1940, in a hope to stop the Italian invasion, the Camel Corps received a reinforcement of one battalion of the Northern Rhodesian Regiment and numbered 1455 men.
The Corps were eventually over ran by the Italians and the British retreated to Aden (present day Yemen) however in December 1941, the British established the Somaliland Scouts, which was originally called the Somali Guard Battalion.
The force quickly grew in size and became important part of Somaliland society.
In 1960 when Somaliland gained independence, it merged with the South who were now under United Nation trusteeship after the British defeated the Italians in World War II and have successfully expelled them from the region.
Somaliland Scouts became the foundation stone for the new Somali National Army (SNA). By 1961, Somaliland Scouts were deployed in the south in the town of Wanlaweyn, after a coup d’état, they quickly restored order and Somalia lived another day.
However to many Somalilanders, this coup was the start of the collapse of Greater Somalia and their southern brothers simply became known as ‘Wanlaweyn‘ due to their denial of the Wanlaweyn genocide.
By 1980, Somaliland officers and army officials started to desert from the Somali National Army formed their own resistance group, the Somali National Movement (SNM).
By 1991, the Somali Army collapsed and Somaliland restored it’s state and established it’s own national army “ciidaanka Qaranka”.
Today, Somaliland has a force of 16,000 men between the ages of 18 and 49.
The military of Somaliland receives the biggest share of the country’s budget.
The pictures below were provided by Sakariye Rirash.
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Somalilandpress, 20th February 2010
The credibility of this site is in question. Day after day I see some unbelievable articles insulting Somali heroes and leaders. This article calls the Sayid Mahamed "religious fanatic" which even the British invaders would shy to call him now!!! SomalilandPress Please be fair and don't take sides when it comes to our history, particularly the Somaliland history which the Sayid and his Dervishes are BIG part of it.
ALL I'm trying to say is PLEASE put Somali race first. Because that's what the world knows. They don't care if you're Isaaq, Daarood etc!!! Then, intaad rabto amaan nin cad oo aan kaadidiisa kaa aqoon, rabana inuu ku gumeysto qarnigan cusub oo dad nool iska daaye xoolaha daaqa ay xitaa adagtahay sida loo gumeysto. Ha Noolaato Maandeeq!
I respect you and you have a valid point however let's also agree to disagree, the guy was infact religious fanatic, that is no lying to that. He was crazy suufi similar to modern Al Shabab expect there was no suicide bombings at that time.
Let me remind you that Suufism and Al Shabab are two different groups and they hate each other. So the Sayid could't be both. Furthermore, whether he was fanatic or else he's still the first Somali to stand up and fight against the British Empire is Somaliland! So why not just call him HERO instead?
I am aware of that but the point I was making is they both tried to hijack Islam and used it against anyone who did not agree with their extremists views.
Basically Sayid was like modern day Al Shabab, some call them heroes some don't, some call Sayid hero I don't. I did not see the point of fighting the British they did not colonize us, some tribes in Somaliland however felt marganlized and the British favoured others over them and this has created the unrests.
But you cant say there was need for upraise against British that only had few men and women in the country for mutton trade and occassionally took part in public services. They did not exploit the country's resources nor tried to settle – so what are you fighting for?
The Sayid killed more Somalis than those the British bombed in Talex and Eastern Sanag. Sayid is the father of Somali division who also inspired monster like Siyad Bare, this has also led to Puntland keeping their own region and Somaliland going back to their origins. I dont call that hero.
Unlike the current Somali groups that you're trying to compare with the Dervishes, The Dervishe's agenda was very simple and pure. The British colonisers must leave somaliland! and it did. But these other groups that you kept mentioning are fighting and killing their people.
Is it my eyes or you really wrote "I did not see the point of fighting the British they did not colonize us" If that's what you beleive I think you need to go to a history class.
Keep telling your self lies and hiding your true colors. Silanyo didnt win not because of you but because of us feeling that we did not want to isolate people like you however this time around we do not care at all because we been to Las Anod and beyond and we seen they have nothing to offer but constant cries and biggering.
You are just a boycott. Mad Mullah was made religious extremist that met his demand (violence) and see where he ended up? Atleast SNM soldiers died in their soil with honor.
Maybe you don't understand, maybe you do. But the fact is Since Somaliland declared independence in 91 they never administred Sool, Sanaag and half of Togdheer because of the tentions with local people. Now, thnks to the local people who understood that they share more in common with SL than PL they were welcomed. That's why SL Army is here. The majority of SSC people support unified Somaliland not the Suuf Alool and SNM run gov't that Silanyo and Warabe want. That'll never happen tho. Remember that SSC States are the heart of SL's independence wish and if SL wants independense the've to bow infront of us and say Jaale. otherwise they'll have to wait an other 20yrs 4 a fake dream.
You are wrong, we are now in Sool and Sanag and nothing has changed, we have discovered sool and eastern sanaag are not as important as we initially thought.
We need different foreign policy that in engages with different foreign players such as Israel, China etc.
Silanyo is coming to power and Sool and Eastern Sanag can protest all they want, I personally dont care where they go.
Somaliland needs to build up its military. We need more heavy artillery, armoured vehicles including tanks, gun boats, and few fighter jets and helicopters. Some short range missiles should also be acquired. The government should stop stealing the nation's money and start spending some of it on our military.
The army along with the police get roughly $30 million of Somaliland's total $55 or so million budget, we are unrecognized state however how these funds are spent is questionable. We need to upgrade the hardware and acquire new weapons system even if it means acquiring it through Ethiopia and slowly paying them off through the port of Berbera. I dont mean we get they used and retiring hardware I mean Ethiopia buys them for us using their connections and we just pay them back.
They are more than happy to do it, I have recently spoke to few ministers (no names) and they happy to work with us in particular the Amhara people.
Somalilandpress you are an embarrassment to the Somaliland people and Somalia’s history. Am disappointed that you speak of our Brother Sayid Maxamed Cabdille Xasan a Somali religious and nationalist leader, who fought for are freedom against the British. I am a somalilander and not impressed at all.
whatever man anyone can say they are Somalilander cry us a river 🙂
Yes bro. Kayse true Said, those hatreds can believe on what they want but the history will remain history and the mad moula was a drunk alcoholic lunatic, who was spreading a daises and un Islamic believes… reality and fact sometimes kills….
The equipments of Somaliland army are out dated. Also there is no ranking system so far.
Somaliland army need to be paid good salaries arround 300$ per solder and free education to their children including free hospitals It could bost moral for the Somaliland Army to people to join . as my fellows Somalilanders Hussein, Ibrahim and Kayse mention their points .
Long live Somaliland.
Elmi
It is not the equibment, it is the will, and the Somaliland army and the people of Somaliland have the will. Siyad Barre's forces had all the equibment and where is it now?
As for the ranking, it is redundant for the time being. All the Somaliland forces, Army, Police, Custodial Corps, Coastguard, all know their heirachy. Remember what destroyed the Somali army, inexperienced and incompetent people cover their shoulders in red and gold.
If sayid was from certain tribe would you think he would have called him a fanatic crazy mullah. This is very good work my british wana be SOmali brothers.
Want think should be clear those with some dignity left in them stop this tribal idealogy that everyone is fed up with. If you want to british be it but don't force other people in it.
No one is forcing you to learn, no is forcing you to open a book that talks about history, and for sure no is forcing you to come here and preach us. If theresn’t anyone who support tribalism or talking about then it’s you, just because we mention facts about this man doesn’t mean we is talking his tribe but you on the other hand are linking everything with tribe. If the history tell us something then it tell us how this guy was never but a lunatic killing own his people using the Darvish so you need to be educated young boy..
The Mad Mullah was the father of what's modern day Islamic extremism, this guy and people like the Mahdi (Sudan) inspired modern day Bin Laden.
Go do little history and you will discover that Mad Mullah was like the modern day Al Shabab they killed anyone who would not agree with their fanatic views, the British did not even take him serious, they saw him as a crazy man, thats how the name "mad" came.
And the word Mullah came from Afghistan and Pakistan, where the British seen religious groups or leaders called the Mullah.
This guy was not normal and he died in Ethiopia among the Oromo, not even in his land. He might be your hero but mine dont force it upon me.
The whole waqooyi region would have been a Cristian majority by now if the Darvish movent let by our hero Sayid mohamed didn't fight against the colonizer. Walaahi I feel sorry for everyone here agreeing with this filt written by tribalsitc lunatic that wants us to believe the britsh were good. Walaahi I will pledge here that from now on I will dedicate my whole live in supporting a movement against this tribal Somalialnd that want to insult the Daaroood you think we are weak walaahi if god is willing let the game start.
You can support whatever you like the so called Mad Mullah was what his name says a Mad religious man, not even proper Islam, I am glade the British and Somaliland Camel Corps destroyed him and his extremists followers.
You hide behind religion, using Christianity as fear factor but the British never preached unlike the Italians (Catholics). You just hate the British because they didn't give you arms, you ride wild horses while Somaliland forces possesed machine guns, gunning down the extremists.
The reason you scared of independent Somaliland is because you know once again the West is more than happy to rebuild Somaliland's forces that would even maintain close ties with NATO, US forces, Israelis and the British, and ofcourse the Ethiopians who want to maintain Ogaden region. Dont forget Ethiopia will hit 100 million people by 2020 and it's already the largest economy in East Africa today.
This is why dont feel ease with independent Somaliland and strong Ethiopia. You have no choice but to hand over the grandsons of this Sayid you love to Ethiopia like Puntland already does and very soon you will hand over ones wanted by Somaliland.
Shakir thanks for being very Somali! what this people don't understand is that the population of the country Somaliland that they're claiming is half none Isaaq. They don't understand that it hurts even most Somalilanders when their heroes are targeted and insulted. They just assume they can get away with that but they can't and won't. When was the last time you read an article insulting an Isaaq leader or hero on SomalilandPress? Never… So there you go SP.
I’m not surprised about their hatred mentality and stupidity. But I’m always astonished and curios about the level of desperation and madness they can reach. Those from Somalia can go to hell with their Mad Mullah uncle, and they should know that the people of Somaliland will only be stronger whatever they do.
I see no one talking about Italian as good otherwise I would have said the same and try to teach us false history that we all no.
Waqooyi Somalia has many many heroes that have always stood for Somalinimo but I will not be insulted by sick hulicinating mooryaan that wants to become a state spreading hatered against his own people just read again you post LANDER
Somalilandpress please take down these pictures, this is vital national security issue, we should not post pictures or videos of our armed forces for the enemy to see and believe me they are watching and taking notes. Sensitive materials whould be kept secret.
SomalilandPress keep removing comments critical to the SNM and keep the anti non Isaaq comments UP. Good job!!!
hahahaha Soolboy is paranoid if they were deleting any thing they do delete that comment, dont isolate your self bro.
The SoolBoy, is young man, who is been told sick history like Anti-Isaaqism. I understand the Isaaq-phobia of southern from Isaaq people becuase they have seen people who can take decision and go for it.. all in all, the Mad Mullah tried to act something that he cannot be, and he failed. The name MAD MULLA is in the history but not from Somaliland Press…
Mainly, SoolBoy had roots with soldiers of Mad Mullah, becuase the mullah recruited large number of grandfathers of SoolBoy, who lost their lives for nothing and today have no place in the history of Somaliland..
Good luck SoolBoy, and thanks Somaliland Press for Wonderful Article.
Ali you seem fulish! How did you reach the conculation that I'm related to the roots that you just mentioned? But if I did can't I confront haters like yourself who likes to dream that SL belongs to one group and that group is save from criticism? Its the people like you who made SL wait 20 yrs + to be recognised as a cntry. And as long as people like u are dreaming about that we'll wait for an other 30yrs and the world would still say you guys are one tribe, and a tribe can not be a country. So ask yourself who will lose. The one who believes that all Somalilanders are equal or you who think the opposite?
Dadka Somaliyeed waa isku mid xasuusnow midnimaa cadowgaaga lagaga adkaan kara ,xasuusnow itoobiya waa acadowgeena .xasuusnow siday qaamaamuurtii Ciimadama qalabka siday u galeen ilaa soofiya iyo cuba nala dagalamen
vive la somaliland my beautifful contry.