| Isamusa عيسىموسى Ciisemuuse | |
| Ethnicity: |  Somali |
| Descended: | Isa ibn Musa ibn Abdirahman ibn Sheikh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad |
| Parent Tribe: | Isaaq |
| Branches: |
|
| Religion: | Sunni, Islam |
| Language: | Somali Arabic |
| Type: | Isaaq Somali Clan |
| Location: | Somalia Somaliland  Ethiopia |
The Isamusa (Somali: Ciisemuuse, Arabic: عيسى موسى , also spelled as Issamusa, Issamousa or Isamousa) is a prominent Somali clan which is part of the Isaaq family clan. The Isamusa traditionally consists of coastal people, nomadic pastoralist and merchants. This clan are primarily settled in Somaliland, including Maroodi Jeex, Togdheer, Sahil, Awdal, Djibouti, Yemen, as well as Kenya.[1] [2] Isamusa populations are present in southern Somalia such as Mogadishu.
The Isamusa have produced many prominent Somali figures with the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Abdulrahim Abby Farah
Historically, the Isamusa made use of the very valuable caravan trade in the Horn of Africa. Deriving income from arriving caravans into the markets of the coastal city of Berbera. The Isa Musa were able to impose a transit duty of 4 units of ana per camel loaded with merchandise.[3]
The Isamusa, whose pasture area is the coastal plain, also raise a transit duty of 4 anas (approx. 48 pfennigs) from the caravans for the loaded dromedar and 1 ana for each sheep and each goat, which from other tribes after the Markets to be brought from Berbera.[4]The Italian explorer and geographer Luigi Robecchi Brichetti had a similar remark in aspect of the valuable caravan trade, where he also mentioned the kindred Ayal Ahmad of Habr Awal - who reserved the title as the Abban of Berbera.[5]
According to the account of Bricchetti, the Isamusa were able to attain revenue thanks to the busy caravan traffic entering & leaving the coastal and historical city of Berbera[6]
They pass for skilled camel breeders and intelligent caravan organizers [Ayal Achmed]. And such are also the different families of the Isamusa, who live off the caravan traffic with the Ogaden, going up to Uebi [Webi] along the Faf (Fafan) route.[7]The Isamusa, along with the wider Habr Awal clan family, formed the majority of the Somali merchants who frequented Aden and other Southern Arabian ports. Conducting independent trading expeditions on their own vessels to Arabian ports. They procured various raw goods from Harar and the interior in exchange for manufactured goods. During their stay, the Habr Awal rented their own houses and hired their own servants, whereas other Somali clans tended to stay with relatives already established across the Gulf.
Merchants. — These are generally members of the Habr Awal tribe. They bring from Harrar and the Galla country, coffee, saffron (bastard), tusks (ivory), and feathers, taking away in return zinc, brass, broad cloth, and piece goods. They remain in Aden for about twenty days at a time during the trading season, which lasts about nine months,' making four trips. During their residence they hire a house, and are accompanied by their own domestics.[8]The ‘Isamusa, weren’t only involved in the commodity trade but also in the livestock trade. Exporting their livestock to Southern Arabian ports like Aden through Berbera. According to a 1895 publication by Captain H. G. C. Swayne.
the Esa Musa export their cattle and sheep to Aden. They have agents at Berbera, and as opportunities offer, batches of, say, ten oxen or two hundred sheep are brought down for export, marching by easy stages. Coming from Bur’o, eighty miles from the coast, cattle or sheep reach Berbera in four to six days, while caravans generally cover the distance in three days.[9]The Isamusa have produced many prominent Somali figures with the Undersecretary General of the United Nations Abdulrahim Abby Farah, the first Somali Prime Minister & second President of Somaliland Muhammad Haji Ibrahim Egal, former vice President of the Somali Democratic Republic and of the 1/5 of the Supreme Revolutionary Council General Ahmed Mohamoud Farah, former vice president of Somaliland Ahmed Yusuf Yasin and the second tallest man in the world Hussein Bisad.
A summarized clan family, with four of the major subclans of Issa Mussa is presented below.
The four major subclans of Isamusa are:[10]