One of the geographic areas where Siddiqis are commonly found is Horn of Africa in the Countries of Ethiopia , Somalia and Djibouti. However, In this countries they are not called Siddiqi rather they are known by other local names. Siddiqis in East Ethiopia are usually called Qallu . Some of them speak Arabic still now. But most of them speak the local Oromo, Harari or Somali languages. The tradition here is that the Siddiqis made themselves part of the indigenous African ethnic group accepting the name given to them, but maintaining their own identity. So, in Ethiopia, they are Usually known as Qallu . And in Somalia, they are commonly known as Sheikhal or Aw-Qutub. The notable Siddiqi families in Ethiopia 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. in Harari genealogy, the Abogne(also called Abun), the Khalaf and kurtu families
The common ancestor of all Siddiqi families of The Horn of Africa is known as Shiekh Abadir Omar Al-Rida ibn Muhammad ibn Shamsadin Al-Bakri Al-Siddiqi . The tradition of the Siddiqis tells that it was this Shiekh who came from Yemen and settled at the town of Aw Barre, on the border of Ethiopia and Somalia, and gave birth to his six sons whom the Siddiqis count as their fathers. Then he moved to the city of Harar and strengthen the institutional,administrative and social frame work of the city and its people. His tomb is located inside the walled city, and few meters away, also there is a mosque that bears his name.
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Notable Ethiopian Siddiquis include Ahmad Taqi. Other notable Siddiquis in Somalia include Dr Ali Shaikh Shmed Abubakar founder and president of Mogadishu University, he is also the president of a Muslim organisation in Somalia which is known locally as Al-Islaah it is part of the wider Muslim Brotherhood organisation which is based in Egypt, and Dr Ibrahim Dusuuqi who is a respected and well known Muslim cleric in Somalia he is a cardiologist by profession and doubles as both a politician and preacher, he was a parliamentarian who took part of the transitional national government of Somalia under Abdi Qasim Salaat Hassan. Shaikh Ahmad Qudubi scholar and preacher who has ahuge following in both Mogadishu and Somalia in general. Notable Siddiquis in Kenya include Ahmad Nassir Malim Abdullahi who is an advocate by profession, he is the former chairman of the Law Society of Kenya and head of anti-corruption authority in Kenya he is also University of Nairobi lecturer. Another prominent Siddiqui in Kenya is the current police commissioner of Kenya Major General Muhammad Ali who is also a general in the army of Kenya. Amongst the notable personalities of the Siddiqui family in Kenya is a senior banker and economist with standard chartered bank Munir Shaikh Ahmad and a business tycoon named Dahir Shaikh Ahmad who owns several landmark malls in the capital city of Nairobi including the gold and dollar exchange complex in the east of Nairobi.