Anglo-Isaaq conflicts

The Anglo-Isaaq conflicts were a series of confrontations between British forces and the Isaaq Sultanate and the Isaaq clan in Somaliland from 1825 to 1945. The first of these conflicts occurred in 1825, when a British ship named the Mary Anne was attacked, sacked, and plundered by Isaaq forces in the port city of Berbera.^[1] The attack led to a British blockade of the city and subsequent negotiations with the Sultanate. Further incidents occurred in the 1850s, notably with the Attack on British exploring expeditions^[2][3][4] and the Blockade of Berbera (1855), which were key points of friction between the British and the Isaaq.^[5] After the establishment of the British Somaliland Protectorate in 1884, tensions continued between the Isaaq and British authorities. The Isaaq led several rebellions against colonial rule, including the isaaq resistance leading up to the 1922 Burao Tax Revolt,^[6] a significant uprising against unfair taxation, and the 1945 Sheikh Bashir Rebellion, which was motivated by political and religious grievances.

Anglo-Isaaq conflicts
Isaaq soldiers confront british navy
Date 1825–1945 (120 years) Location Somaliland Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
Isaaq Sultanate Habar Awal Habar Yoonis Habar Jeclo	British Empire
Commanders and leaders
Farah Guled (1855–1856) Hassan Guled Ou Ali (1922) Madar Hersi (1945) Sheikh Bashir † Alin Yusuf Elmi †	Captain James Gordon Bremer, Captain W.C. Jervoise (1825–1827) Captain John Hanning Speke (POW) Sir Richard Burton (WIA) Lieutenant Storyan † (1855) Governor Geoffrey Archer, Captain Allan Gib † Major Chambers † Captain James David † captain Richard corfield  †

These conflicts, though interspersed with treaties and agreements, ultimately resulted in the incorporation of Isaaq territories into British Somaliland, shaping the political landscape of the region for decades.

See also

• Isaaq Sultanate
• British Somaliland
• History of Somaliland