Saho people

Saho
ساهو

Flag of the Saho people
Total population
(213,800 (2006 est.))
Regions with significant populations
Eritrea	191,000
Ethiopia	22,800
Languages
Saho
Religion
Islam
Related ethnic groups
Afar • Agaw • Amhara • Beja • Oromo • Somali • Gadabursi • Tigray • Tigre and other Cushitic peoples.

The Saho (Arabic: ساهو‎‎), sometimes called Soho, are an ethnic group inhabiting the Horn of Africa. They are principally concentrated in Eritrea, with some also living in adjacent parts of Ethiopia. Historical evidence confirm that the Saho occupied their present home much earlier than their claims of originating from the Arabian peninsula. The Saho can be traced back to 2000 BC. They speak Saho as a mother tongue, which belongs to the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family and belong to the East-Cushitic groups.

According to Ethnologue, there were approximately 213,800 Saho speakers in 2006. Most are concentrated in Eritrea (191,000 speakers), with the remainder inhabiting Ethiopia (22,800 speakers). Within Eritrea, the Saho primarily reside in the Southern and Northern Red Sea regions.

The Saho have a system of clans (11 at present), which are in turn divided into kinship groups. Clan loyalty is an important factor in Saho politics.

The Saho people speak the Saho language as a mother tongue. A Lowland East Cushitic Languages, it is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family and is quite similar to Afar.

The Irob dialect is only spoken in Ethiopia.

The Saho are predominantly Muslim. A few Christians, who are also known as the Irob, live in the Tigray region of Ethiopia and the Debub Region of Eritrea.