Siddiqis in the Horn of Africa Siddiqis in Eastern Ethiopia are usually called Qallu. While some of them still speak Arabic, most of them speak the regional Oromo, Harari or Somali languages, tongues which, like Arabic, also belong to the Afro-Asiatic language family. In Somalia, Siddiqis are commonly known as Sheekhaal or Aw-Qutub. Notable Siddiqi families in the Horn region include: 1. Kurtu family (in Harar, Deder and Djibouti) 2. Aw Barre family 3. Aw Ismael family 4. Qallu-Diinii family 5. Khabir Hassan family (in Gelemso) 6. Aw Samirren family 7. Aw Khalaf family 8. Aw Umar Ziad family 9. Abogne/Abun (the Khalaf and Kurtu families;
2009 timeline of the War in Somalia Insurgents fired mortars at the presidential palace in Mogadishu to which government forces retaliated with their own mortar fire which killed five civilians. Also, in fighting in the Wardigley district another nine civilians were killed. Fighting between Al Shabaab forces and a government backed militia in the Lower Shabelle region of KM60 resulted in the deaths of 7 Somali militiamen and 2 Al Shabaab insurgents and the capture of at least 100 militiamen as prisoners. In Bardhere Town SW Somalia an explosion killed 4 Somali militiamen including a commander and killed 2 civilians and injured two civilians. Abdirahaman Xaji Mohamed