People Profile
Afar People of the Horn of Africa
Population: 1.4 million
Religion: Folk Islam
ROP code: 102419
Location:
There are about 1.4 million Afar in the three countries: Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea. The 1998 Ethiopia census reports about 980,000 Afar. Population estimates for Djibouti range from 130,000 to 170,000. Eritrea figures are generally reported as 300,000.
One source I know also reports almost 500,000 of these in Somali, but most sources have indicated they are not actually that far south. This was my conclusion when I investigated that question a few years ago.
In Djibouti the Afars make up about 40% of the population. The previous name of the territory was the French Territory of Afars and Issas, the latter being the tribe of Somalis who are dominant there.
Much of their territory is desert and salt flats, cut by great cracks from the sun's heat. Temperatures are reported to be the hottest on earth.
History:
Little is known of the actual specific history of the Afar people. The Afar claim a descent from Arabs, through a mythic Yemeni ancestor, though they differ racially, linguistically and culturally.
This kind of cultural geneological adoption is common among Semitic and Cushitic peoples, such as some Somali clans, who also claim Yemeni Arab descent. Sometimes this reflects cultural ties from an earlier historical period or actual instances of intermarriage, perhaps for a defense alliance.
Popular history gives some insight into the history in the two traditional divisions of the Afar. Tradition indicates that the Asayahamara (The Red Ones) are descended from a group originally invading from the Ethiopian Highlands at one time, who imposed their rule on the Adoyahmara (The White Ones).
It is thought the color designations came from the reddish soil deserts inland, toward the direction the newcomers came from, and the white saline coastal areas, where the Adoyahamara are still more numerous. The Reds remain socially dominant, and claim ownership of the lands, while the Whites tend to be the herders. Both classes are, however, distributed among all the clans of the tribe.
Identity:
The Afar are one of the people about whom little is available. Their inaccessilbility makes it difficult to obtain reliable objective information.
The Afar are a definite, separate ethnic group, as far back as we have information about peoples of the Horn, just details are few. Every people, though, is related to other peoples, of course. The Afar are a distinct Eastern Cushite people, with language and culture related to the Somali and Oromo.
They are a dark brown or black people with Caucasian features, similar to the darker Somali and Oromo. They are likewise distantly related to the ancient Beja group of peoples, who are Southern Cushites, and related in turn to the ancient Egyptian race.
They are referred to by some sources as the Danakil, from the Arabic name of the Danakil Depression, or Desert, near the Red Sea in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Amharic name for them is Adal. Adal was the name of an ancient Muslim empire that almost defeated the old Abyssinian Empire at one time. They call themselves Afar, which means in their language "The Best" or "First."
Language:
The Afar speech is classified as a separate language in the Eastern Cushite group. It is most closely related to Saho (Ethiopia and Eritrea), and more distantly related to the Somali and Oromo groups of languages. Linguists generally identify four distinct dialects of Afar. Literacy rate in Afar is only about 1%; in Amharic (in Ethiopia) perhaps 3%.
Political Situation:
The Afar maintain a loose confederation of four "sultanates." Rather than being hereditary sultantates, each sultan is appointed by the people, but reportedly is chosen from alternating segments in each of the four sections of the Afar.
The four sultanates are Aussa (also Asayita or Asaita) and Biru in Ethiopia, and Tajoura and Raheito in Djibouti. One older source reports a fifth sultantate, Gobad in Djibouti. The Sultan is the religious, as well as the political, leader of his clan of the Afar.
The Afar remain aloof from all central governments, unresponsive to opportunities and suggestions for change, resistant to domination by others. They are cautiously open to specific benefits like medical care or water programs. Groups of Afar can be seen camped just outside the edge of Djibouti town, where they come periodically for trade or medical care.
In history, the Afar have been active in military campaigns led by Muslm leaders against the Christian highland peoples. The Sultan of Aussa rules from the capital of the once-great Adal, an Afar-Somali kingdom. Afar fought for Ahmad Gran, the Amir of Harar, who, in his attempt to establish a Muslim Empire in Abbyssinia in the 16th century, devastaed the Ethiopian Highlands. Aussa, or Asayita, is now the capital of Afar State of Ethiopia.
During the 20th century, the Sultan of Aussa was mollified and cooperative under gifts and titles from the Ethiopian government. In recent decades relations with neighboring peoples has been more peacecful.
A major slave route to Arabia crossed Afar country, with Afar reportedly still actively trading in slaves as recently as 1928.
Customs:
They are nomadic or transhumanic (moving from highland to lowlands with the seasons and rise and fall of the flood waters of the rivers). They carry their houses with them and reassemble them when they make temporary settlement.
Women run the home and settlement and set up the houses, which they carry on camels when they move. Women milk the goats and make butter or ghee. They are also the musicians in the tribe.
Marriage preference is first cousin, as is also common among Semitic peoples. Descent and marriage, however, follow the father's clan ("patrilocal"), rather than the mother's ("matrilocal"). Divorce rates are high.
The women usually are bare-breasted, unusual for professed Muslim peoples. The Afar practice infibrilation, the sewing together of the female vulva, a type of female "circumcision," practiced by other Cushite peoples, and some Bantu peoples. Similarly, boys are circumcised upon coming of age.
A large proportion of them mine salt from the Danakil Depression, and trade this with the Yemenis across the strait, or with Ethiopians for grain. They raise mostly goats, but some sheep, which they need for the required Muslim celebration feasts. They use camels for pack animals, but do not ride them.
The Afar living near the Red Sea are more settled, and fish for a living, selling the fish. The governments have had little success in getting the Afar to settle into permanent settlements. Some do live in the towns around the Aussa oasis, and in major towns.
The Sultan of Aussa, one of four traditional sultans of the Afar, receives land rental royalties from British concerns raising cotton, from what I understand.
They are very separate from the surrounding peoples, and suspicious and antagonistic to their neighbours the Somalis and the various Ethiopian tribes. They even have animosity and fighting between the clans of Afar, similarly to the family/clan orientation of the Somali culture, which is very atomized.
Scarcity of water is a common cause of conflict. Groups of warriors are assigned to guard herds and watering holes.
Vengeance killing has been a strong value, but is diminishing in modern times. Likewise, warfare has been the primary context for much of the culture. A few decades ago, for instance, a young man was not considered an adult until he had killed one man. His victim might be from a different people or from another Afar clan.
Religion:
They are Sunni Muslims by profession, but also follow many of the traditional animistic practices and concepts, details of which I do have catalogued. There are no known Christians among them.
They are difficult to access geographically, but also culturally. Several Christian agencies are relating to them with various economic, medical, educational or cultural assistance.
They are Sunni Muslims by profession, but also follow many of the traditional animistic practices and concepts. There are no known Christians among them.
They are difficult to access geographically, but also culturally. In recent years, Christian agencies have been active in various economic, medical, educational or cultural assistance work among the Afar.
I notice the Ethnologue reports some Afar as Christian, but gives no numbers or percentages.
The Registry Of Peoples Code for the Afar is 102419.
Further Reading:
UN Emergencies Unit Report 1996 (University of Pennsylvania)
Afar Pastoralists and Rain Problems
Focus on the Afar people — Danakalia
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Bibliography
Weekes, Richard V. "Afar," Muslim Peoples. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1984.
Olson, James S. "Afar," The Peoples of Africa: An Ethnohistorical Dictionary. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1996.
Phillips, David J. "AFAR or Danakil," Peoples on the Move. Pasadena, California: William Carey Library, 2001.
Lewis, I. M.. "Danakil -- French Territory of Afars and Issas," Peoples of the Earth (Volume Two). London: Danbury Press (Grolier Enterprises), 1973.
Orville Boyd Jenkins
Written and posted 09 May 2004
Last edited 3 November 2008
Copyright © 2004 Orville Boyd Jenkins
Permission granted for free download and transmission for personal or
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Email: researchguy@iname.com