Afar assimilation

[Ashraf]

Why didn’t Somalis assimilate afars in the past or even during the Adal wars? They have a small population of 3 million and a large landmass on the Red Sea. Considering historical animosity why didn’t we expand into their territories and occupy at least until Assab. Have we lost Red Sea territory due to embellish expansion or wha cuz it don’t make sense

 

[NidarNidar]

Why didn’t Somalis assimilate afars in the past or even during the Adal wars? They have a small population of 3 million and a large landmass on the Red Sea. Considering historical animosity why didn’t we expand into their territories and occupy at least until Assab. Have we lost Red Sea territory due to embellish expansion or wha cuz it don’t make sense

Afar live in even drier land than us, and were primarily salt traders, who traded with us, this is how they became Muslim, it was mostly the Isa that fought with them since they bordered them.

 

[Ashraf]

Afar live in even drier land than us, and were primarily salt traders, who traded with us, this is how they became Muslim, it was mostly the Isa that fought with them since they bordered them.

@Khaem explain yourself

 

[Idilinaa]

Most of Afar live in a desolate area that's dry with no resources other than rock salt called the ''Danakil Depression''. There is no economic motivation for Somalis to migrate there n mass.

Why would we expand into a desert region that looks like this?

 

[Khaem]

@Khaem explain yourself

Why would ciise want to occupy a land that literally has nothing on it.

Ciise were moving into fertile Hararghe during the Adal empire instead.

 

[Khaem]

Why didn’t Somalis assimilate afars in the past or even during the Adal wars? They have a small population of 3 million and a large landmass on the Red Sea. Considering historical animosity why didn’t we expand into their territories and occupy at least until Assab. Have we lost Red Sea territory due to embellish expansion or wha cuz it don’t make sense

Somalis did assimilate some afar. And the reverse happened also. Our societies were intertwined. But no large-scale Somali migration to the Danakil ever happened because Somalis simply saw no use in the land. There's no reason to leave semi arid land suitable for Agro-pastoralist societies, to a volcanic wasteland.

 

[Avalanche]

Afars live in a harsh environment, that's why they constantly try to occupy Somali regions such as Sitti which is very good for livestock etc.