COI-Report-Somalia

EASO Country of Origin Information report — South and Central Somalia — Country overview — 43
2. Clan system and ethnic groups
2.1 Majority Clans
According to a renowned expert on Somalia and professor of anthropology: ’The clan system is the most important
constituent social factor among the nomadic‐pastoralist Somalis’ ( 271 ).The clans function as sub‐ethnicities of the
Somali nation. Clan affiliation is the main identity‐providing factor within the Somali nation ( 272 ). The clan system
matters for all functions of society, even for the structure of the government ( 273 ). Somalis usually know their exact
position within the clan system, including in urban Mogadishu ( 274 ).
The clan system is patrilinear and hierarchically structured. It can be differentiated into several levels: clan family,
clan, sub‐clan (sometimes also sub‐sub‐clan), primary lineage and mag or diya paying group ( 275 ). Clans are led by
leaders and elders. On higher levels, these leaders are called suldaan, ugaas or issim. Their role is mainly judicial
and representative. Elders (oday) on lower levels (mag paying groups) regulate access to shared resources and are
involved in conflict resolution. Due to the absence of functioning state structures in parts of Somalia, the clans and
their elders have regained a political function and a substantial influence on the organisation of society. However,
clans have no centralised administration or government ( 276 ). During the civil war, clan elders increasingly became
targets of violence, which eroded their power. Nevertheless, they still have a significant influence on society and
politics ( 277 ).
The ‘noble’ clan families trace their origin back to a mythical common ancestor called Samaal, who is said to be
descended from the Prophet Mohammed. These groups are nomadic pastoralists. The clan family is the highest level
of clanship. Its members can count up to 30 generations back to a common ancestor. The four ‘noble’ (Samaale)
clan families are the following:
• The Darod are usually divided into three major groups: Ogaden, Marehan and Harti. The Harti are a federation
of three clans: the Majerteen are the main clan in Puntland; the Dulbahante and Warsangeli live in the disputed
border areas between Puntland and Somaliland. The Ogaden are the most important Somali clan in Ethiopia,
but also quite influential in both Jubba regions, while the Marehan are present in South and Central Somalia.
• The Hawiye mainly live in South/Central Somalia. Their most influential subdivisions are the Abgal and Habr Gedir,
which are both dominant in Mogadishu.
• The Dir settle mainly in western Somaliland and in some pockets of South/Central Somalia. The main clans are
the Issa, Gadabursi (both in Somaliland and bordering regions of Ethiopia and Djibouti) and the Biyomaal (in
southern Somalia).
( 271 ) Lewis, I. M., A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics Among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa, James Currey Publishers, Oxford, 1999
(reprint), p. 4; Gundel, J., The predicament of the ‘Oday’. The role of traditional structures in security, rights, law and development in Somalia, November 2006
(http://logcluster.org/sites/default/files/documents/Gundel_The%2520role%2520of%2520traditional%2520structures.pdf) accessed 10 June 2014, p. 4-5.
( 272 ) Besteman, C., Public History and Private Knowledge: On Disputed History in Southern Somalia, Duke University Press, Durham, 1993, p. 567; ISS Africa,
The Somalia Conflict. Implications for peacemaking and peacekeeping efforts, September 2009 (http://www.issafrica.org/uploads/P198.PDF) accessed
10 June 2014, p. 3.
( 273 ) Lifos (Migrationsverket), Government and Clan system in Somalia. Report from Fact Finding Mission to Nairobi, Kenya, and Mogadishu, Hargeisa and Boosaaso in
Somalia in June 2012, 5 March 2013 (http://lifos.migrationsverket.se/dokumentdocumentSummaryId=29575) accessed 10 June 2014, p. 32; BAMF, Minderheiten
in Somalia, July 2010 (https://milo.bamf.de/milop/livelink.exe/fetch/2000/702450/683266/693991/697672/697677/6029534/13604856/13565580/
Deutschland___Bundesamt_f%C3%BCr_Migration_und_Fl%C3%BCchtlinge,_Minderheiten_in_Somalia,_Juli_2010.pdfnodeid=13904432&vernum=-2)
accessed 10 June 2014, p. 1.
( 274 ) Lifos (Migrationsverket), Abtirsiimo och abtirsiin – upräkning av sin somaliska klanlinje, 24 May 2013 (http://lifos.migrationsverket.se/dokumentdocume
ntSummaryId=30344) accessed 10 June 2014; Abbink, J., ‘The total Somali clan genealogy (second edition)’, ASCO Working Paper 84/2009, 2009 (https://
openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/14007) accessed 10 June 2014, p. 1; Lifos (Migrationsverket), Government and Clan system in Somalia. Report from
Fact Finding Mission to Nairobi, Kenya, and Mogadishu, Hargeisa and Boosaaso in Somalia in June 2012, 5 March 2013 (http://lifos.migrationsverket.se/dok
umentdocumentSummaryId=29575) accessed 10 June 2014, p. 22.
( 275 ) Lewis, I. M., A Pastoral Democracy: A Study of Pastoralism and Politics Among the Northern Somali of the Horn of Africa, James Currey
Publishers, Oxford, 1999 (reprint), p. 4; Gundel, J., The predicament of the ‘Oday’. The role of traditional structures in security, rights, law and
development in Somalia, November 2006 (http://logcluster.org/sites/default/files/documents/Gundel_The%2520role%2520of%2520traditio
nal%2520structures.pdf) accessed 10 June 2014, p. 4-5; BAMF, Minderheiten in Somalia, July 2010 (https://milo.bamf.de/milop/livelink.exe/fe
tch/2000/702450/683266/693991/697672/697677/6029534/13604856/13565580/Deutschland___Bundesamt_f%C3%BCr_Migration_und_
Fl%C3%BCchtlinge,_Minderheiten_in_Somalia,_Juli_2010.pdfnodeid=13904432&vernum=-2) accessed 10 June 2014, p. 1.
( 276 ) Gundel, J., The predicament of the ‘Oday’. The role of traditional structures in security, rights, law and development in Somalia, November 2006 (http://
logcluster.org/sites/default/files/documents/Gundel_The%2520role%2520of%2520traditional%2520structures.pdf) accessed 10 June 2014, p. 5-6.
( 277 ) IGC, Somalia: to move beyond the failed state, 23 December 2008 (http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/africa/horn‐of‐africa/somalia/147-somalia‐to‐m
ove‐beyond‐the‐failed‐state.aspx) accessed 10 June 2014, p. 4.