Questions on Benadiri and Barawe culture

[Som]

I have a few questions on Benadiri s and I hope those who know them or are from the Benadiri /Baraawe communities can shed some light on this
1. Are there any genetic studies on Benadiris and their ancestry? By phenotype many look like an average light skinned Somali, some look straight up Arabs while others show Bantu like features
2. What is the relationship between Benadiris and the Arabic language? I know reer Baraawe speak a Swahili dialect. Are there Any benadiris who speak Arabic as their native language?
3. What is the relationship between gibil madow Benadiris and cadcads? Do they intermarry or consider themselves to be one group?
4. What was the social status of pre war Benadiris? They often claim that they had lots of influence while also claiming to be heavily discriminated
5. Is true that Benadiris were specifically attacked during the civil war?
6. What relationship do Benadiris have with Siad Barre? Did they support him?

 

[Idilinaa]

Benadiris and reer barawa are just Somalis. Most descend from pastoral Somali clans that settled from the interior, while some others are Somali clans with paternal immigrant roots that married into them.

Their culture is just an extension of Somali culture from other regions of historical Somalia, there is nothing uniquely different about them, their social organization was similar as the ones in the interior. Their houses and homes were built same as the ones in other old commercial centers such as Harar, Luuq, Zayla and Berbera, white washed stone houses with terraces and carrishes. They refer to their ports as Bandar (Benadiri for plural) and call the edge of juba ras, the same way coastal easterners around Makhir and Bari call their their ports bandar and the tip of Hafun Ras. They dressed the same way, ate similar food as well. They spoke a Somali Dialect as their common everyday tongue but also spoke Arabic as a second language like other Somalis. They wore Somali titles and names as well. Same coastal seafaring culture as their northern-eastern counterpart and employed Abaan system. They celebrated Dabshiid new year festival like other Somalis.

The only difference is with Reer Barawa in that they are a translocal community of Somalis, where they also speak Swahili in addition to Tunni Somali dialect. Which is a product of a trans local communication, they picked up to communicate with their clients and business/religious contacts south of them as they moved back and forth between the Somali coast and the Swahili coast. But other than that their social organization and culture is the same as Somalis they are divided into Somali clan lineages of Tol and Reer.

From what i have heard is that Barre compensated them a lot and gave them full support, regarded them as cultural custodians. So the average one lived better than most other Somalis. Some of them were part of the main founders of the SYL and some created an adjunct part of it THYC. The Shaykhs played an important role in the early modern period in the revival and independance movements as well.

 

[Khaemwaset]

I have a few questions on Benadiri s and I hope those who know them or are from the Benadiri /Baraawe communities can shed some light on this
1. Are there any genetic studies on Benadiris and their ancestry? By phenotype many look like an average light skinned Somali, some look straight up Arabs while others show Bantu like features

Many have south Asian ancestry, which is very sizable although never talked about by Banadiri

2. What is the relationship between Benadiris and the Arabic language? I know reer Baraawe speak a Swahili dialect. Are there Any benadiris who speak Arabic as their native language?

None of them are native arabic speakers. They speak regular Af Maxa Somali, There are some banadir clans who speak Chimni, a swahili dialect which itself is just a creole of Arabic & several Bantu langauhes

3. What is the relationship between gibil madow Benadiris and cadcads? Do they intermarry or consider themselves to be one group?

Not sure I'd say they feel like a community

4. What was the social status of pre war Benadiris? They often claim that they had lots of influence while also claiming to be heavily discriminated

Banadiri never had high social status, although they were treated favourably by Siad Barre

5. Is true that Benadiris were specifically attacked during the civil war?

everyone was attacked in thr civil war, cities like Xamar were basically the purge. Banadiri had no power so were targetted by Somali clans

6. What relationship do Benadiris have with Siad Barre? Did they support him?

They supported him and were treated well by the Kacaan