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Treaties with the Somalis

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Warsangli on February 25, 1885. The British also signed treaties with the Sultans of Tajourra, with Syud Moha-med Bar, Governor of Zaila, with Sultan Mahmood Yusuf, Chief of the Mijerteyn and the Sultan of Socotra.

(Appendices Seven and Eight)

The British official persuaded the Somalis to sign one-sided treaties. All the articles of the treaties favoured only Britain and gave nothing to the Somalis. The elders promised to do whatever British wanted. In some earlier drafts, it was stated that “no foreign nation shall have the right to appoint an Agent to reside in the territories of the Habr Awal without the consent of the British Govern-ment.” And as far as the revenues were concerned, “The Custom dues leviable at the ports of the Habr Awal shall not exceed 5 per cent ad valorem on imports, and one per cent on exports. All livestock exported to Aden were to be free of import duties of all kinds. No duty was to be charged on articles for the use of bona fide persons in the employ of the British Government. Major Hunter even asked his superiors “whether it is the intention of Her Majesty’s Government to make the Somalis pay for our (British) agent and his guard, and other necessary ad-ministrative charges and if so, the customs can be fixed at a rate that will cover such expense, and yield a fair amount of profit to the Habr Awal.”

Following is the correspondence regarding the con-solidation of the British occupation of the Somali ter-ritories:*

From—J.A. Godley, Esq., Under-Secretary of State for India,

To—The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

“I am directed by the Earl of Kimberley to ack-nowledge receipt of your letter of the 12th instant, on the subject of the Somali Coast.

* Letter No. 242: Dated India Office, London, and 15th July 1884, NAI, New Delhi.

His Lordship concurs in the measures which it is now proposed to adopt both at Constantinopole and Cairo, and in Lord Granville’s opinion that failing steps on the part of the Porte to hold Zeila, arrangements should eventually be made there, similar to those now contemplated at Berbera.

With regard to those arrangements, Lord Kimberley is of the opinion that, as already stated in my letter of the 8th May, the agreement to be concluded with the local Sheikhs should be drawn upon the lines of the treaties of 1827 and 1856 (with) the Habr Awal tribe, and of the agreement of 1876 with the Sultan of Socotra, (Appendix Twenty Seven) and he considers that, as suggested by Lord Granville, Her Majesty’s Government should be prepared to guarantee Berbera against all comers and, if necessary, to send a small force there with a ship of war.

Letter No.243: Dated Foreign Office, London, 17th July 1884 (Immediate and Confidential).

From—D.P.W. Currie, Esq., Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

To—The Under-Secretary of State for India.

With reference to your letter of the 15th instant, I am directed by Earl Granville to transmit to you, for the information of Earl Kimberley, a copy of telegram which his Lordship has addressed to Her Majesty’s Ambassador at Constantinopole, relative to the evacuation of Tajourrah and Zeila by the Egyptian Government.

“I am also to transmit a copy of a telegram sent to Her Majesty’s Acting Agent and Consul-General at Cairo, relative to the agreements with the tribes, and instructing him to press the Egyptian Government to assist Major Hunter in the discharge of his mission, and to state what steps they contemplate taking with view to carrying out the policy of evacuation.”

Further exchange of letters followed:

Dated India Office, London, the 7th August 1885.

From—The Secretary of State for India,

To—His Excellency the Viceroy and Governor-General of India.

“I forward herewith, for the information of Your Excellency’s Government, copy of the papers noted in the margin (From Foreign Office, dated 2nd July 1885; to Foreign Office, dated 29th July 1885; from Foreign Office, dated 6th August 1885) relative to the British protecto-rate, which has been established over the Somali Coast, and to the question of obtaining from the Somali Chiefs a more express recognition of that protectorate than is contained in the agreements recently concluded with Major Hunter.

“I request that, unless there shall appear to Your Excellency in Council, or to the Resident at Aden, to whom a copy of the papers has also been forwarded, any objection to re-opening the question with the Somali Chiefs, steps may be taken to obtain from them a declara-tion in the sense suggested by Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for Foreign affairs.”

Following is one of the letters mentioned above.

Dated Foreign Office, the 6th August 1885.

From—Sir J. Pauncefote., Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,

To—The Under-Secretary of State for India.

With reference to your letter of the 20th ultimo, on the subject of the British Protectorate over the Somali Coast, I am directed by the Marquis of Salisbury to state that His Lordship concurs in the suggestion that the communication to the other powers of the Protectorate over the regions in question should be deferred until steps have been taken to obtain from the Somali Chiefs an express recognition of British protection in terms cor-responding with those employed with recent treaties with West African Chiefs; and am to request you to move Lord Randolph Churchill to cause the steps proposed in your

letter above referred to, to be taken, to obtain from the Chieftains supplementary agreements recognising the fact of the British Protectorate over them.”

All that was done to have the Somalis under the British protection or domination was, in fact, a one-man—

Major Hunter’s work, who was not even residing in the country. The Major was the British Consul-General at Aden, Yemen, and non-resident Consul for the Somali Coast. He was under the control of the British Governor in Bombay, India.

Major Hunter asked the Governor: “Do you think Her Majesty’s Government would object to a British officer residing at Berbera for a time with the title of Agent; he could have a few policemen as his guard, and practically he would keep the peace until some arrangement could come to. If that would be acceptable, I do not see why troops should be required at all, such would be in reality an occupation, in all but the name”

He complained: “I have no one to help me, and do not care to take more people into my confidence than is absolutely necessary.”

As far as arrangements with the Somalis were con-cerned, Major Hunter believed that there were no difficulties in making any treaty with the Somalis and in fact, he alone, made them sign the treaties according to which the Somali elders placed their territories and people under the British protection.

The British Government named and appointed Major Frederick Mercer Hunter, Political Agent and Consul for the Somali Coast, to conclude the treaties. Major Hunter and the elders of the Warsangali, have signed a Treaty.*

(Appendix Fifteen)

On June 1, 1886, Major Hunter, now Political Agent and Consul, Somali Coast, wrote to the Political Resident, Aden, informing:

* Foreign Department, Secret -E., January 1889, Nos. 111-113-NAI, New Delhi.

“To secure our position and to avoid any possible question arising hereafter, I have arranged for the exhi-bition of the British flag at the ports (marginally noted:

Ainterad, Karram, Ankor, Rakhuda,, Shellas, Hais, Mait, Hashow). I propose, with reference to the 15th paragraph of my letter No. 43 of the 29th January last, to appoint custodian on a salary of Rs. 10 at each bunder (Port). This will entail an expenditure monthly of Rs. 80 which should, I think be taken to have commenced on the 1st February, about which date the treaties were executed.”

This idea was approved by the Under-Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign Department, W.J. Cun-ningham.*

The object of the treaty that Major Hunter had con-cluded with the Essa Somalis was “to check French from Obokh.” Giving the geographical location of the territory of the Essa, it stated: “The Essa Somali country is partly to the east and partly to the west of Zaila, and from the coast it extends south-westwards nearly as far as Harrar.” It evidently touches a bit of the coast east of Zaila, and is therefore within the limits set out in the treaty negotiated by Major Hunter in June 1884.

Earlier in 1827 a British vessels claiming to be trading at Berbera was attacked and plundered by the Habr Owul tribe. Although the British documents do not give any reason for the attack, it might have been because of a foreign vessel entering the port without the consent of the Somalis. Berbera is a port to the east of Zaila and Tajourra and nearly opposite to Aden. A vessel of war was sent to punish the tribe for what the British called “the outrage” which the Somali had committed. On February 6, 1827, the following Treaty of peace and commerce was signed by the elders of the tribe and the Captain of Her

* Foreign Department, See Letter No. 2177-E, dated Simla, the 18th September 1886, NAI.

Majesty’s Ship Tamar, Gordon Bremer. (Text in Appen-dix-One)

The three Governments that controlled the Somali territories, the British, the Italian and the Franch, pro-posed to sign a draft Declaration regarding the restriction of importation of arms and ammunition

The French also claimed that they have signed an agreement with the Essa Somalis in the year 1884.

The treaty was for facilitating commerce on the coast.

But the British claimed that they had already signed agreement with the Essa tribe before the French. In fact, on December 31, 1884, the British claimed that a treaty was made with the Easa by the British on February 12, 1885. (where as the French treaty was signed on March 26, 1885) Mr. Waddington intimated that the French Protectorate extended to Ghubbet Kharab. On February 24, 1885, the British Ambassador at Paris informed the French of the Easa Treaty. He stated that on March 10, 1885, (a British official) Captain King visited the coast westward of Zaila and at Ras Jibuti obtained the adhesion to the treaty of the heads of the families residing between that point and Ghubbet Kharab. He distributed presents to the headmen of the Furlaba, Hurrone, Urweina, and others sub-tribes and flew the British flag on this occasion. The British suspected the French of having made an engagement with some of the Easa occupying the coast west of Zaila and described the facts connected with this circumstance as follows:

“Abubekr Pasha and his son Burhan induced 17 of the Easa from the west coast to visit Takusha, where they interviewed them, gave them presents, and asked them to assist the French. The Somalis were told to proceed to Dabalibah, near Ghubbet Kharab, where they embarked for Tajura. This was early in March 1885, and from thence they were conveyed to Obokh in a French steamer. On

the 15th September, a Council of the Easa was held at Ambadu, when five out the 17 so-called signatories of the French Treaty were present. These latter denied having signed at all, but admitted having received presents. The Council came to the conclusion that the Pasha and his son were responsible for the alienation of Easa territory, and swore in the most solemn way that they would kill Abubekr and Burhan unless they left Zaila. The result of their determination ended in the deposition of Abubekr.”

Major Hunter had earlier written to the Secretary of State for India in London that the first step after the withdrawal of the Egyptians from Berbera was to place there a British Agent with an armed police guard of 40 men. He proposed to nominate Mr. L.P. Walsh, Acting Second Assistant Resident in Aden, to the post of the Agent provisionally.

“No troops need be landed at all now that the agree-ment has been satisfactorily concluded,” he said in his letter, adding: “And I am prepared to make similar arrangements at Zayla, so as to further the withdrawal of the Egyptian garrison from Harrar or to despatch an officer there, I should like to have an escort of the Aden troop, but that body could be looked on as a personal guard.”

Major Hunter told his superiors that he presented Rs.

(Rupees) 1,400 to the various Somali elders and others.

“Hereafter it may be desirable to execute agreements with other tribes, but now that Berbera is safe, and our policy understood, the remainder of the Somalis will only be too ready to make treaties with us”, he had written.

In the treaty the right (of the British) to seize slaves on land was introduced, and Major Hunter emphasised that “such a stipulation renders it extremely difficult for the traffic to be prosecuted, even if any inclination existed among the Somalis to carry on the trade in human being(s).”

The trade in human beings or slave trade existed well before the British and the Somalis signed the agreement.

The British colonial office in Aden knew that the slave trade was continuing despite the agreement. But as the British did not want to offend the Turks, they chose to close their eyes.

The British Secretary of State for India told the British authority in Bombay that “whilst the negotiations respecting the sovereignty of the Somali Coast between the Red Sea and Cape Guardafui are pending, it will be expedient for Her Majesty’s cruzers to refrain from ex-amining in those waters any dhows whatever on suspicion of being engaged in the slave-trade.”*

Robert Hall, Secretary to the Lords of the Admiralty, told Sir Luis Mallet, Under-Secretary of State for India, that “the Rear-Admiral in Command of the East India Station has been confidentially informed that Her Majesty’s Government are of the opinion that Her Majesty’s cruzers should not interfere with the traffic in slaves by sea supposed to be carried on by dhows sailing from African ports in the waters in question.”**

Sir Luis Mallet, wrote a letter in which he also stated:

“I am directed by the Marquis of Salisbury to observe that whilst Major-General Schneider’s recommendations, and the order of the Admiralty base(ed) upon them, refer to a total non-interference, under present circumstances, with dhows sailing from the above coast, your letter appears to make an exemption duly in favour of vessels actually flying the Turkish or Egyptian flag.”

Berbera was at first free and unoccupied by either Turkish or Egyptian troops. Zeylah, on the other hand, owed an allegiance to Mocha, which was part of Yemen.

* Foreign Department, Letter dated India Office, London 17th June 1875, NAI.

** Foreign Department, Letter dated Admiralty 26th April 1875, NAI.

In 1875 the Porte conferred jurisdiction over Zeylah on Egypt by a firman, which British have never recognised.

In 1877, the British concluded a Convention with Egypt, which conceded to the Egyptians jurisdiction as far as Ras Hafun, but they secured the freedom of the ports at Berbera and Bulhar, and obtained fixed duties for Zeila and other ports. This Convention required the ratification by the Porte, which was never given.

The British claimed that the Egyptians had not per-formed their part of the agreement.The slave-trade had revived at Zeylah, and the Egyptian Government had been afraid to recall the infamous Governor Abu Bakr.

The British did not secure free trade at Berbera etc.etc.

A secret letter in January 1886 (no date) described the British “Protectorate” on the Somali Coast as follows:

“Originally the term “Protectorate” was applied only to British relations with Bulhar and Berbera and the intervening coast, which were based upon the first of Major Hunter’s treaties, namely, that made with the Habr Awal. Following the lines of the Habr Awal, four others have been negotiated with the following tribes:

(a) The Easa Somalis between Ghubbet Kharab and Zeila;

(b) The Gadabursis, to the east of Zeila and between that place and the Habr Awal who then carry on the line to Bulhar;

(c) The Habr Gerhajis, to the east of Berbera;

(d) The Habr Tol-Jaalis, to the east of the Habr Ger-hajis, as far as Hais.

Major Hunter wrote:

“A British Protectorate has been established from Ghubbet Kharab to Ras Galweni. The tribes occupying the above coast line have entered into suitable engage-ment. Zaila and Berbera are garrisoned by the British troops; and former, though covered by the Ottoman flag, is administered by an officer under the control of the (British) Aden residency.”

In 1887, Major Hunter, who started his career as a Captain, reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. The main architect of all the agreements concluded with the Somalis relinquished charge of the Somali Coast Agency and Consulate in May 1887. Lieutenant-Colonel E.V.

Stace was appointed Political Agent in November 1887 in his place. Later, on February 20, 1889, Stace was ap-pointed Consul for the Coast from Tajurrah to Ras Hafun under the Agent and Consul-General at Cairo.

The Abyssinian Invasion of

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