Haji Sudi

Ahmed Warsama "Haji Sudi" / Xaaji Suudi Shabeel (1857–1920) is one of the founders of the Somali Dervish movement and the movement's right-hand man till its demise. He hails from the Habar Jeclo clan of the Isaaq.

Haji Sudi was born approximately around 1857 in what's now Somaliland before the British occupation of the Somali coast. Nothing is known about his early life, but as most of the Somalis of his time his early life and youth was spent in the interior as a nomad. The nickname " Sudi" in Somali means hot tempered. In Somali language the term means hot or scourging temperature an indication of his temperament. Haji Sudi's real name was Warsame Omar (according to the modern family descendants) but to the British he was known as Ahmed Warsama before the dervish . Later during his dervish years he was popular as Haji Sudi.

The earliest record of Haji Sudi's life was his British navy stint as an interpreter commencing in 1884. He accompanied William Hewett on his mission to Abyssinia according to Cecil Lowther who hired him as a guide and a headman for his 1894 big game hunting expedition in Somaliland (From Pillar to Post).

"Haji Ahmed the interpreter and headman, a tall, slight fellow of thirty-five years of age, with close-shaven head immense mouth disclosing a row of gleaming teeth a great man in the estimation of all( having three times made the journey to Mecca having a fourth trip in prospect). He had been years in the English Navy as interpreter, an accompanied Admiral Hewitt on his mission to Abyssinia "

In 1884-1885 Haji Sudi spent time as an interpreter during the Suakin Expedition directly observing the ways of the Sudanes Dervish during his work abroad HMS Ranger under William Hewett.

“His purely political adherents were almost solely confined to a few dragomen and disgruntled Somalis residing in Aden, who cherished some personal grudge against the British Government. Typical of these was Haji Sudi, an ex-interpreter of the Royal Navy, who had been at Suakin and was conversant with Dervish customs, many of which he imported into Somaliland. For one and twenty years he was the Mullah's trusty lieutenant".

" Haji Sudi was an ex-interpreter of the Royal Navy. He had been at Suakin and was conversant with Dervish ways and had imported many of their customs."

In 1892 he accompanied John Walter Gregory to east Africa, Gregory observing Haji Sudi's habit and manners in 1892 expedition made the following observation regarding his character and his religious dervish devotions.

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Wikipedia