Sir Geoffrey Francis Archer (4 July 1882 – 1 May 1964) was an English ornithologist, big game hunter and colonial official. He was Commissioner and then Governor of British Somaliland between 1913 and 1922, and was responsible for finally quelling the twenty-year-long Dervish resistance.
From 1922 to 1925, Archer was appointed Governor of Uganda. He later served as Governor-General of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan between 1925 and 1926. In the Sudan, Archer paid a formal but friendly visit to Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi, son of the self-proclaimed Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad, whose forces had killed General Gordon in 1885. Abd al-Rahman was leader of the neo-Mahdists in Sudan. Archer was eventually forced to resign due to the resultant flap, and spent the remainder of his career organising salt works in India.
Early career In 1901, the nineteen-year-old Archer joined his uncle Frederick John Jackson, the acting high commissioner in Uganda. His uncle sent him on an ornithological collecting trip the next year. He visited Lake Albert, the Semliki valley and the Rwenzori Mountains, discovering over twenty species and subspecies that had been previously unknown to science. He went to Baringo in 1904 where he conducted extensive surveys. Archer was almost tempted to become a professional big game hunter.
On the basis of his survey work, Archer was appointed District Commissioner of the Northern Frontier district in Kenya. The district was treated as a closed zone with little contact with the rest of Kenya. It was basically a buffer against the Ethiopians, and was not considered to have any other value.
In 1920, Archer said of northern Kenya: "There is only one way to treat the northern territories and that was to give them whatever protection one can under the British flag and otherwise leave them to their own customs. Anything else is certainly uneconomic".
Archer was able to supplement his District Commissioner salary by money earned from an annual elephant hunt. An official in his position was allowed to take two elephants per year, and the sale of their tusks could be worth several hundred pounds. Much later, when he introduced hunting stories into an address to the Royal Geographical Society, Archer was informed by the President that "gentlemen hunt only with the camera".
British Somaliland Background In 1913, Archer was appointed Acting Commissioner in British Somaliland, later becoming Governor from 1919 to 1922. He was also Commander in Chief of the forces in British Somaliland.
The Darawiish proclamation of independence letter posits a triumvirate with an emir, a Dhulbahante sultan and government. The emir was Muhammad Abdullah Hassan whilst Dhulbahante head was Diiriye Guure, and the government was called haroun.Official History of the Operations in Somaliland, 1901-04, page 319, year 1907 "The instructions to Kenna were "to endeavour by every means to locate the position of the Haroun, and having done so, to try and surprise it by long-distance marching with his mounted troops"" This triumvirate and their Darawiish forces had managed to successfully resist British troops in four consecutive expeditions sent out against them over a period of two decades.
In 1919, the British government decided on a final push to quell the insurgency. However, the army was reluctant to undertake yet another drawn-out campaign. Archer proposed using air power as a way to reduce the cost of ground troops, a suggestion that was greeted with scorn by the military. However, in January 1920, a flight of RAF bombers attacked the Haroun's headquarters and nearby Dhulbahante garesas in Taleh. By mid-February, Somaliland Camel Corps troops, assisted by the King's African Rifles, rounded up the remaining Dervish forces. Abdullah Hassan retreated to the Ogaden region where he attempted to regroup for yet another counter-expedition. However, he died of influenza a few months later, effectively ending the insurgency.
On 5 June 1920, Archer was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.
While in British Somaliland, Archer collected 3,000 skins and 1,000 clutches of eggs. He discovered three new bird species and several new races. His collection and observations were basis for a later book on the birds of the region co-authored with Miss Eva Godman. In 1921, the Colonial Secretary Sir Winston Churchill called a conference in Cairo attended by experts on the Middle East. Sir Geoffrey Archer brought along two young lions who were being sent to the London Zoo. They broke loose at a reception held at the British residency and almost caught the pet stork that belonged to General Edmund Allenby, the high commissioner.
Taxation disconcertment
In early 1922 the Protectorate authorities announced that they would impose a heavy tax on the people of Burao and initiate a programme of disarmament. This policy was proposed to raise much needed revenues to run the Somaliland Protectorate which was a net drain on Colonial Office coffers. As well to enhance British control in the interior of Somaliland after the Dervish War. As a result the people of Burao revolted and clashed with the British in opposition to the tax and this led to targeting of British government officials. In the ensuing disturbances a shootout between the British and Burao residents broke out, Captain Allan Gibb, a Somaliland Campaign veteran and district commissioner, was shot and killed after the Camel Corps refused to fire on the rioters.
After the incendiary bombardment and destruction of Burao, the leaders of the rebellion acquiesced, agreeing to pay a fine in livestock for Gibbs death but refused to identify and apprehend the individuals guilty. Most of the men responsible for Gibb's murder would evade capture. In light of the failure to peacefully implement taxation Governor Archer abandoned the policy altogether being a victory for the Somalis in the Protectorate.British Somaliland: An Administrative History, 1920-1960 pp.110Correspondence between Governor of British Somaliland and Secretary of State for the Colonies. Colonial Office, 26 March 1922. Governor Archer would soon be replaced after this blunder and policy in British Somaliland would be revised in light of this resistance.
1916 important members of haroun list The 1916 British Intelligence Report diary from the Berbera colonial office of Geoffrey Archer, published a list of the most notable members of the Dervish haroun (government), the list being revised in 1917 and 1918. The list details two scores of names, including their position, their tribe, as well as a short annotation with miscellaneous information. Geoffrey Archer subdivides the majority of these Dervish leaders into advisors, natively called khusuusi, and commanders, natively called amaanduule. A small minority have other positions including governors, a logistics coordinator, and arbitrators natively called muqaddim. The two score of Dervish personalities listed by Archer rejects the notion that these Dervish leaders have a rank over one another, but rather that the position of one khusuusi was egalitarian to another khusuusi, and that of a muqaddim egalitarian to another Dervish muqaddim.British intelligence report, 1916, PRO CO 535 / 47; followed by National Archives, PRO WO 106 / 23; for accessibility, see Imperialismo e resistenza in Corno d'Africa. Mohammed Abdullah Hassan e il derviscismo somalo (1899-1920), Gerardo Nicolosi, 2002, page 281
Generals + Dervish generals Name Tribe Position Cusman Boos Bah-Cali Gari (Dhulbahante) general / amaanduule Nuriyal Huy Bah-Cali Gari (Dhulbahante) general / amaanduule Xirsi Cartan Jama Siad (Dhulbahante) general / amaanduule Xaashi Suni Fooyaan Baharsame (Dhulbahante) general / amaanduuleSultan Nur Ahmed AmanRer Caynaanshe (habar yoonis)5th sultan of The habar Yoonis general/amaandule Samatar Bullalleh Barkad (Dhulbahante) general / amaanduule Abdi Nur Hedig Nalaye Ahmed (Dhulbahate) general / amaanduule Cabbaas Muse Baharsame (Dhulbahante) general / amaanduule Omar Tage Baharsame (Dhulbahante) general / amaanduuleCiise FaahiyeNalaye Ahmed (Dhulbahante)general / amaanduuleAfqarshe IsmaaciilNalaye Axmed (Dhulbahante)general / amaanduule Mahdi Sayyid Mohamed Ogaden general / amaanduule Osman Nur Ogaden general / amaanduule Ibrahim Hassan Nur Ogaden general / amaanduule Xandulle Dif Bah Ali Gheri (Dhulbahante) general / amaanduule Cali geele Darwiish Isaq Arap ( reer cali) general / ammaanduule Ibrahim Galgol Reer Jibril (Naleye Ahmed Dhulbahante) general / ammaanduule Liban Dugarri Hamud Ugaas (Ugaasyo Dhulbahante) general / ammaanduule Cartan Mullo Ogaden general / ammaanduule Warsame Ali Gulaydh Ugaadhyahan (Dhulbahante) general / ammaanduule
Statesmen + Dervish statesmen Name Tribe Position Abdirahman Ali Dis Ogaden statesman / khusuusi Nur Hedig Nalaye Ahmed(Dhulbahante) statesman / khusuusiIsmacil MireAli Gari (Dhulbahante)statesman / khusuusiAbdallah ShihiriAdan Madoba (Habr Je'lo)statesman / khusuusiXirsi JeedladeJama Siad (Dhulbahante)statesman / khusuusiAfqarshe IsmacilNalaye Ahmed (Dhulbahante)statesman / khusuusiSadiq ArabiAsharafstatesman / khusuusi Dr. Mohamud Hosh Elmi Dheere Arap statesman / khusuusi/ First Somali Doctor Duale Mire Arap (Hashim Reer Ali) statesman / khusuusi Muse Ahmed Arap (Hashim Reer Ali) statesman / khusuusi Haji Ali Adan Arap (Abdale Arab) statesman / khusuusi Mohammud Hassan Arap (Hashim Reer Ali) statesman / khusuusiHaji AhmedHawiyestatesman / khusuusiHaji Ahmed El FikiHawiyestatesman / khusuusi Obsiiye Seed Bah Ali Gheri (Dhulbahante) statesman / khusuusiDiiriye GuureAraale Mahad (Dhulbahante)statesman / khusuusi Maxmud Guure (sultan Diiriye Guure's brother) Baharsame (Dhulbahante) statesman / khusuusi Jama Seed Bah Ali Gheri (Dhulbahante) statesman / khusuusi Yusuf Hassan Nur Ogaden statesman / khusuusi Abshir Dhoorre Majeerteen statesman / khusuusi Sheikh Adan Geri Koombe statesman / khusuusi Adan Cali Ogaden statesman / khusuusi
Miscellaneous
+ miscellaneous Dervish Name Tribe Position Cabdullaahi Aaden Oogle Bah Ali Gheri (Dhulbahante) political advisor Serar Shawe Jama Siad (Dhulbahante) geographic intelligencer / dalyaqaan Cali Axmed Aaden Meggar Ararsame (Dhulbahante) cavalry + navy / fardaha + badmaax Nuurxaashi Cali Warsangeli Jidali arbitrator / muqaddim Jidali Xaaji Firxad Hawiye Abyssinian diplomat / danjire Ismail Kharras Warsangeli logistics of Dhulbahante garesas Hirsi Dihaal Halanje Bahgeri Dhulbahante Dervish spokesman-poet / abwaan-afhayeen Mataan Cabdi Ogaden mentor / caalim Cabbaas Xaaji Cabdiraxmaan Ghalal Bahgeri Dhulbahante Taleh governor Siciid Jigrati Majeerteen mentor / caalim Jama Yusuf Tamiinlaaye Habr Awal mentor / caalim Musa Mahun Bah Ali Gheri (Dhulbahante) mentor / caalim
Uganda Archer was appointed Governor of Uganda in 1923, and made his first priority the control of 19,000 highly destructive elephants in the colony.
He took an interest in education of the native people, asking for advice on the curriculum, buildings, organization and so on, although he was limited in what he could achieve by shortage of funds. Where he was deemed successful was in training Africans to replace European bureaucrats in several parts of the protectorate. Large portions of the governors staff were switched from British bureaucrats imported to do tasks to mission-educated Africans trained to do the same tasks. These became some of the most sought-after jobs in the Protectorate.
Archer founded a department of education in Uganda and appointed a director. However, due to doubts that the local Ugandans could handle higher education the establishment at Makerere Hill in Kampala only gave training for low-level clerical work. Archer himself wanted the locals to gain the higher education needed for senior positions so the administration would have to depend less on Indians.