These Damadams] are the Mongols of the Negroes.

[Riftvalley]

The Damdam live on the shores of the Nil behind the lands of the Zeng. They invaded Nubia and Abysssinia in the year 617 of the Hegira [1220 AD], at the time when the Mongols invaded Persia. [These Damadams] are the Mongols of the Negroes. This town of Damdama (6) is 54° 20' longitude and by 9° 30' latitude.
They are careless in their religion. They have idols and religious ceremonies. In their countries there are giraffes. It is in the land of the Damdam that the Nil splits. They live there where Ahmad b. Tulin (7) the Bukna (64) puts. These live behind Alwa (8) and are completely naked like the Zang. It is in their country which produces gold, that the Nil splits in several branches . Out of which the green and the white Nile are born.

Ibn Said al Maghribi (1250) Kitab Djoughrafiya fi l’ aqalim al Sab (Book of maps of the seven climes)

Which group of people was he referring to guys?

 

[JamalFarah]

Somalis or proto-Somalis already found their way deep into the horn by then. I'd guess a group of nilotic pastrolists pushed into raiding by weather change.

 

[Riftvalley]

Somalis or proto-Somalis already found their way deep into the horn by then. I'd guess a group of nilotic pastrolists pushed into raiding by weather change.

I know he wasn’t referring to Somalis. He (Ibn Said) talks about the Barbara coast later. Nilotic groups pushing out of Ethiopia into Sudan makes sense.

I have just never heard of DamDama. I know there was Damot who were Omitics I believe.

 

[Yami]

Sounds like they were Fanj people before conversation to islam

 

[Emir of Zayla]

The Damdam live on the shores of the Nil behind the lands of the Zeng. They invaded Nubia and Abysssinia in the year 617 of the Hegira [1220 AD], at the time when the Mongols invaded Persia. [These Damadams] are the Mongols of the Negroes. This town of Damdama (6) is 54° 20' longitude and by 9° 30' latitude.
They are careless in their religion. They have idols and religious ceremonies. In their countries there are giraffes. It is in the land of the Damdam that the Nil splits. They live there where Ahmad b. Tulin (7) the Bukna (64) puts. These live behind Alwa (8) and are completely naked like the Zang. It is in their country which produces gold, that the Nil splits in several branches . Out of which the green and the white Nile are born.

Ibn Said al Maghribi (1250) Kitab Djoughrafiya fi l’ aqalim al Sab (Book of maps of the seven climes)

Which group of people was he referring to guys?

This is most likely referring to Nilotic people