▁a ▁revol t ▁against ▁the ▁It ali ans ▁during ▁the ▁colonial ▁period . ▁This ▁revol t ▁was ▁mainly ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁Bi ima al ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁Dir . ▁The ▁Bi ima al ▁cl an ▁is ▁widely ▁known ▁for ▁leading ▁a ▁resistance ▁against ▁the ▁colonial s ▁in ▁southern ▁Som alia . The ▁Bi ima al ▁viol ently ▁resist ed ▁the ▁im position ▁of ▁colonial ism ▁and ▁fought ▁against ▁the ▁Italian ▁colonial ists ▁of ▁Italian ▁Som al il and ▁in ▁a ▁twenty - year ▁war ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Bi ima al ▁revol t ▁in ▁which ▁many ▁of ▁their ▁war riors ▁assass in ated ▁several ▁Italian ▁govern ors . ▁This ▁revol t ▁can ▁be ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁war ▁of ▁the ▁Mad ▁Mul lah ▁in ▁Som al il and . ▁The ▁Bi ima al ▁mainly ▁lives ▁in ▁Som alia , ▁the ▁Som ali ▁region ▁of ▁Eth iop ia , ▁which ▁their ▁Ga ad sen ▁sub - cl an ▁mainly ▁inhab its ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁NE P ▁region ▁of ▁Ken ya . ▁The ▁Bi ima al ▁are ▁past oral ists . ▁They ▁were ▁also ▁successful ▁mer ch ants ▁and ▁trad ers ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁they ▁have ▁engaged ▁in ▁multiple ▁wars ▁with ▁the ▁Ge led i ▁cl an , ▁which ▁they ▁were ▁vict orious ▁in . ▁ ▁Line age ▁I . M . ▁Lewis ▁and ▁many ▁sources ▁maintain ▁that ▁the ▁Dir , ▁a ▁Pro to - S om ali , ▁together ▁with ▁the ▁Haw i ye