History of the
Afar People
our History
who we are
The Afar People
The Afar people, also known as Danakil, Adali, or Odali, have a deep-rooted history in the Horn of Africa, with ancestral ties tracing back to the Arabian Peninsula. Linguistic studies suggest that the Afar were among the earliest inhabitants of this region. In Djibouti, the Afar population numbers around 300,000, making up more than a third of the country’s population.
History of the Afar People
The Afar speak the Afar language (also called ’Afar Af), which belongs to the Eastern Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. They are primarily found in northeastern Ethiopia, southeastern Eritrea, and Djibouti. Along with the Issa people, they are a dominant group in the region. Historically, the Afar are believed to be the first among Ethiopia’s inhabitants to develop a pastoral lifestyle that evolved into full-scale nomadism. Originating from the highlands of southeast Ethiopia, they eventually migrated to the harsh desert landscape of Danakil, a term historically used by Arabs to describe them but now considered offensive.
The Afar’s economy revolves around livestock, particularly goats, with some families raising camels and, less commonly, cattle. However, exceptions exist, such as Afar communities engaged in fishing along the coastal areas and farming in the Assau oasis. Additionally, the Afar are known for mining and exporting salt.
Proud and fiercely independent, the Afar are often feared by outsiders. They are organized into patrilineal kinship groups, and larger forms of cooperation, such as subtribes or tribes, typically emerge only in times of conflict with other tribes or neighboring peoples. The Afar society is divided into two distinct social classes: the Asaimara (“Red Men”), who are landowning nobles, and the Adoimara (“White Men”), who serve as lower-class tenants.
Among the Afar, age-set systems exist, where individuals of the same age group are governed by a chief responsible for settling disputes. Legal procedures focus on compensation for adultery, which involves fines paid to the injured husband or father, and revenge for homicide. Blood feuds are a prominent and costly aspect of Afar life, except in a few sultanates, such as Assau, where despotic rule is enforced by a local army.
While the Afar people are nominally Muslim, their adherence to Islamic orthodoxy varies. Coastal communities and those within the sultanates observe a more orthodox form of Islam, whereas nomadic groups in the interior blend Islamic practices with elements of their earlier Cushitic religion.
The Afar people also claim descent from the biblical figure, the son of Noah, according to their tradition. They are predominantly located in the East African nations of Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. Despite being referred to as “Danakil” by outsiders in the past, the Afar prefer to be recognized by their own name, as the term Danakil is considered offensive.
