SUMMARY
The Ajuran is an ethnic group living in north-eastern Kenya and adjacent regions in Somalia and Ethiopia. This vast and mostly arid region is home to several ethnic groups who frequently and in changing alliances engage in fighting. Depending on the current state of alliance, many of the groups revise their overarching ethnic affiliation, which makes them difficult to categorise. This change of affiliation is facilitated through three different traditional identity divisions which can be stressed more or less depending on the situational needs. First is the Boran Oromo versus Somali division, identified by language. Somali here refers to the use of Somali language, and not to the Somali nationality. Due to a long history of mutual interaction, most people in the region speak both – the Boran dialect of Oromo and the Somali – fluent, but depending on the current affiliation, consider one as their own language and the other as a foreign tongue. Second is the division between Islam and age-grade system. Here, the age-grade system is considered as a religious institution and counter-weight to Islam. Generally, Islam is associated with being Somali, while the age-grade system is connected to Boran Oromo. Note that most Boran Oromo are Muslims as well, but stress this affiliation less than the Somali. Third and last is the division between Worr Dasse and Worr Buyye, a distinction along the lines of life form. The Worr Dasse (translated: People of the mats) life in mat-covered tents and are usually Somali or Somali-like camel nomads, while the Worr Buyye (translated: People of the grass) life in grass-covered huts and are normally Boran cattle-keepers.
The Ajuran are nomadic cattle and camel herders belonging to the Worr Dasse. A majority of the group is Muslim and Somali speaking, even though the Boran dialect of Oromo is mastered as well. Despite this, the British colonisers categorised them as Boran Oromo, an affiliation they accepted until the late 1980s/early 1990s. During that time, the Ajuran changed strategic alliances, started to stress the Muslim and Somali speaking identity more and began to be considered as Somali; only to reconsider this affiliation around 2000 and to be seen today as Boran Oromo again.
The Ajuran has been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.
