The Hiraab clan (Somali: Hiraab, Arabic: هراب), is a prominent Somali clan belonging to the larger Hawiye clan. Renowned for its influential role, the Hiraab clan has produced numerous significant leaders within Somalia, including six presidents, the first president and prime minister of Somalia, and various other prominent figures. The clan's historical contributions include pioneering military leadership roles, and establishing a foundational influence in Somalia.
Mainly residing in central and southern Somalia, stretching from Galkayo to Kismaayo, the Hiraab clan also has a presence in Ethiopia and Kenya. Among their notable historical milestones, the Hiraab clan are the predominant inhabitants of Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia. They have exerted substantial influence over the city, making substantial contributions across the city's diverse sectors.
Aden Abdulle Osman, the first President of SomaliaAbdullahi Issa Mohamud, the first PM of Somalia
History
Hiraab Imamate map in 1700
The first clan to ever challenge the Ajuuraan rulers was the Darandoolle clan a section of Hiraab.
The Ajuuraan had decreed: “At the wells in our territory, the people known as Darandoolle and the other Hiraab cannot water their herds by day, but only at night.” … Then all the Darandoolle gathered in one place. The leaders decided to make war on the Ajuuraan. They found the imam of the Ajuuraan seated on a rock near a well called Ceel Cawl. They killed him with a sword. As they struck him with the sword, they split his body together with the rock on which he was seated. He died immediately and the Ajuuraan migrated out of the country. In another variation of the story, a young Darandoolle warrior was born with a gold ring on his finger, a sign of his future preeminence. The Darandoolle then rallied around their young leader, who eventually assumed the title of Imam of the Hiraab and took up residence in Muqdisho.[1]
By 1700, the Hiraab and other clans occupied a large territory stretching the interior from the Shabelle valley to the arid lands of Mudug and to the coastal areas of Mogadishu towards Hobyo. After the immediate fall of the Ajuuraan, the Hiraab established an independent rule for at least two centuries.[2] CalledRegno di Magadozo or the Kingdom of Magadoxo in official medieval bulletins, at their peak they would go on to dominate what became Greater Benadir.[3]
Distribution
The Hiraab clan predominantly inhabits the central and southern regions of Somalia, including Galgaduud, Mudug, Middle Shabelle, Hiiraan, Banadir, Lower Shabelle, and, to a lesser extent, Sool, Lower Juba, and the Somali region of Ethiopia.[citation needed]
Galkayo, Galmudug
In Mudug,[4] the Sacad sub-clan of the Habar Gidir exerts political and local dominance over the Galkayo[5] district and city. The Saleeban sub-clan of the Habar Gidir is the majority in the Hobyo[6] district, alongside the Sacad,
The Galgaduud region is a stronghold of the Hiraab clan,[8] forming the majority in five out of sevendistricts and the second largest group in the remaining two. They hold significant influence and control over these districts, occupying most key positions. The Saleeban sub-clan dominates the Adado, the Ayr sub-clan is the majority in the Dusmareb and Guriel districts, the Waceysle sub-clan leads in the El Dher district, and the Duduble sub-clan is predominant in the El Buur[9] district. The Ayr sub-clan also extends into the Abudwak and Balanbale districts, holding various positions and key towns.[citation needed]
A photo of the Guriel town
In the Middle Shabelle region of the Hirshabelle state, the Abgaal sub-clan forms a majority,[10] controlling the governor's office and other key districts, including the fertile lands of the Jowhar[11]] and Bal'ad districts and the tourist-attractive coastal towns near Mogadishu. In Hiiraan, the Hiraab live in three out of eight districts: Gerijir, Mataban, where the Habar Gidir form a plurality, and Jawiil district, which is inhabited by the Udejeen.[citation needed]
Jowhar District
In Banadir, the Hiraab are concentrated around the national capital Mogadishu, and were the earliest inhabitants. They primarily occupy 16 of the 18 districts, holding district governor positions in 12 and vice-governor roles in the rest. They also have a presence in the other 2 districts, which are the Deynile and Hamarweyne districts, and hold vice-governor roles in them as well. The Hiraab clan has established itself as a significant force in the city, holding key positions such as the mayor, head of police, head of security services, and head of the courts. The community has been prominent in Mogadishu since the 17th century with the Hiraab Imamate.
In the Somali Region of Ethiopia, the Hiraab inhabit key districts and towns near the Hiiraan and Somalia border, including Ferfer, where the Udejeen clan resides. The Habar Gidir live near the Galmudug border in towns like Labobaar in the Korahey zone. The Ayr sub-clan's Fiqishini members are found in the Dollo zone's Qararo Hawiye town and the Erer zone. The Sheekhaal sub-clan lives in Afdher'sRaaso district and areas near the capital Jiiga, such as Gursum. They also inhabit parts of Oromia.
In Lower Juba, the Sheekhaal sub-clan resides in major districts such as Hoosingo and Jamaame. In Lower Shabelle, their communities stretch from Afgoye, Merca, and Baraawe, inhabiting the lush lands of the region. The Abgaal also have a presence in some districts of Lower Jubba, such as Turdho.[12] In the Sool and Togdheer regions of Somalia and Somaliland, the Fiqishini sub-clan of the Ayr lives in key cities like Adhi'adeye and constitutes a portion of Buuhoodle city in Togdheer.[13]
General Mohamed Nur Galaal,[17] Frunze Trained Major General, Former Deputy Defence Minister, Chief Architect of the 1964 Ethiopian–Somali Border War and the Ogaden War 1977, Commander of the 1990 Somali Rebellion in Mogadishu, Transitional National Government of Somalia Head of National Commission for Security and Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a Paramilitary Advisor, Four Time War Hero
Dahir Adan Elmi, Chief of Somali Armed Forces, Major General and the Commander of Qabdri-Daharre Battalion in Somalia-Ethiopian War in 1977 and awarded a Medal of Honour. He is regarded as the longest-serving General in the Somali Army
Abdi Hasan Awale Qeybdiid, Longest reigning Police Commissioner, dubbed Tiger Abdi in the infamous Black Hawk Down
Hassan Dahir Aweys, Decorated Colonel of the Ogaden War, Founder of the Islamic Courts Union
Ahmed Jila'ow Adow, former Director of the Somali Secret Services and a Mayor of Mogadishu in 1991
^Richard Burton, First Footsteps in East Africa', 1856; edited with an introduction and additional chapters by Gordon Waterfield (New York: Praeger, 1966), p. 165
