Habar Gidir

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Habar Gidir
هبر جدر
Languages
Somali
Religion
Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Abgaal, Duduble, Hawiye and other Somali clans

The Habar Gidir (Somali: Habar Gidir, Arabic: هبر جدر) is a major subclan of the Hawiye. The clan has produced some prominent Somali figures, including the first Prime Minister of Somalia Abdullahi Issa Mohamud, and Somalia's fifth President Abdiqasim Salad Hassan. [1][2]

The first Prime Minister of Somalia, Abdullahi Issa Mohamud

Overview[edit]

The Habar Gidir are part of the Hiraab clans. The Hiraab consists of the Mudulood, Habar Gidir and Duduble. The Habar Gidir are also a sub-clan of the larger Hawiye and are one of the most important sub-clans amongst the Hawiye. This gives the Habar Gidir immediate lineal ties with the other Hawiye sub-clans. The Hawiye descend from Irir Samaale who was one of the sons of Samaale. Due to this the Habar Gidir also have kinship with other Samaale clans.  

The Habar Gidir are one of the largest Somali clan families and inhabit a vast portion of the Somali nation and Somali peninsula at large. The Habargidir mainly reside in the central regions of Somalia, where they predominate, and are frequently associated with the region itself. The Habargidir as a clan break into 5 clan families made up of the Ayr/Cayr, Sacad/Sa’ad, Saleebaan/Suleman, Saruur who are all descended from Madarki’is(Madarkicis Hiraab) along with the Duduble who are positioned as the uncles of the former 4 mentioned.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

Etymology[edit]

Former president of Somalia, Abdiqasim Salad Hassan

The Habar Gidir are a Hiraab sub-clan. The forefather of the clan is Madarkicis Hiraab and Habar Gidir is the name of their Mother. Madarkicis is part of the Hiraab section of Hawiye. Madarkicis translates to "gathering causer'' or ''The one who rouses meetings" in the Somali language. The name Habar gidir is derived from Madarkicis' appreciation to Raarey Gidir, who gave birth to two of his sons out of a total of five and nurtured all of his children, including Madarkicis' younger brother, Duduble, whose mother and father died while he was still young. Madarkicis afterwards made the prayer that Raarey Gidir's name surpasses his to convey his thanks for her care and love for his progeny and younger brother, despite the fact that they were not entirely hers.[10][11]

Distribution[edit]

The Habar Gidir primarily live in the central regions of Mudug and Galgaduud in Galmudug state of Somalia. The Habargidir also live in the capital of Somalia Mogadishu, where they are great stakeholders in the city and are the cities biggest financial and political stakeholders as well as producing the first Mayor of the city post-Independence.

The clan also lives in the Somali Region of Ethiopia in particular the areas neighbouring Galmudug state such as the regions of Korahe Zone, Shabelle Zone and Dollo but can also be found in sizeable numbers in other parts of the region. In addition to this the Habar Gidir can also be found in northern Somalia where they have established settlements and are important stakeholders within the region, some of the regions they primarily inhabit in northern Somalia include the regions of Sool and Togdheer. The Habargidir in general can be found in fair numbers in every Somali city and region and are one of the few clans who are well spread. Finally, the Habargidir can be found in the expatriate communities of the Somali diaspora in great numbers.

I.M lewis map of the Habargidir clan heartlands in 1931.

Role and influence in Somalia[edit]

The Habar Gidir clan has produced prominent figures such as the first Prime Minister of Somalia Abdullahi Issa Mohamud, who hailed from the Sa'ad subclan; Reer Nima'ale.  Abdullahi Issa played one of the most important roles if not the most important role in bringing independence for the Somali nation. He stood firm in his beliefs against the occupying Italians and ensured to get them out of the country legally and bring Somalis freedom in which he was victorious.

Somalia's fifth president Abdiqasim Salad Hassan also hails from the Habargidir, Ayr, Absiiye. The president was elected at a time where Somalia had not seen governance for nearly a decade and was elected in the town of Arta in Djibouti by Somali delegates representing the various Somali clans and factions. His government faced great challenges despite his will to restore the Somali nation to its better past. He was also a very important figure in Mohamed Siyad Barres Regime and held 7 ministerial posts in the span of the regimes rule.

General Mohamed Farah Aydid, also from the Habargidir, is regarded as the most influential general in modern Somali political history. Mohamed Farah Aydid was a Major General who was instrumental in the 1977 war against Ethiopia to liberate the unlawfully occupied Somali Region. After other Somali clans failed to overthrow President Mohamed Siyad Barre's totalitarian rule, the General played the most essential role in overthrowing the regime. General Aydid was the Chairman and Leader of the United Somali Congress faction, which ousted Mohamed Siyad Barre.

.[12][13][14]

Clan tree and lineage[edit]

  • Samaale
    • Irir
      • Hawiye
        • Gorgaarte
          • Daame
            • Hiraab
              • Madarkicis(Habargidir)
                • Mahamed 'Ayr' Madarkicis
                  • Mu'le Mahamed(Mucle/Tolweyne)
                  • Wa'e Mahamed(Wace/Yabadhaale)
                • Sa'ad Madarkicis
                  • Awarere Sa'ad(Cawareere)
                  • Abdalle Sa'ad(Cabdalle)
                • Saleebaan Madarkicis
                  • Farah Saleebaan(Farax)
                  • Dashame Saleebaan
                • Ibrahim Madarkicis(Saruur)
                  • Nabadwaa Saruur
                  • Wacdaan Saruur
                • Sifaadle Madarkicis
                  • Mariid
                  • Daangaale

References[edit]

  1. ^ Somalia at the Crossroads. Adonis & Abbey. 2007. p. 10. ISBN 9781905068593.
  2. ^ Horn of Africa Bulletin, Volume 12. Life & Peace Institute. 2000. p. 21. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
  3. ^ Lewis, I. M. (1998-01-01). Peoples of the Horn of Africa: Somali, Afar and Saho. Red Sea Press. p. 25. ISBN 9781569021057.
  4. ^ Lewis, I. M. (1998-01-01). Peoples of the Horn of Africa: Somali, Afar and Saho. Red Sea Press. ISBN 9781569021057. At the end of the book "Tribal Distribution of Somali Afar and Saho"
  5. ^ Verdier, Isabelle (1997-05-31). Ethiopia: the top 100 people. Indigo Publications. p. 13. ISBN 9782905760128.
  6. ^ Hayward, R. J.; Lewis, I. M. (2005-08-17). Voice and Power. Routledge. p. 242. ISBN 9781135751753.
  7. ^ The Quranyo section of the Garre claim descent from Dirr, who are born of the Irrir Samal. UNDP Paper in Kenya http://www.undp.org/content/dam/kenya/docs/Amani%20Papers/AP_Volume1_n2_May2010.pdf Archived 2018-05-17 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ Adam, Hussein Mohamed; Ford, Richard (1997-01-01). Mending rips in the sky: options for Somali communities in the 21st century. Red Sea Press. p. 127. ISBN 9781569020739.
  9. ^ Ahmed, Ali Jimale (1995-01-01). The Invention of Somalia. The Red Sea Press. p. 121. ISBN 9780932415998.
  10. ^ Diiriye, Anwar Maxamed (2006). Literature of Somali Onomastics & Proverbs with Comparison of Foreign Sayings. Gobaad Communications & Press. ISBN 978-0-9726615-1-5.
  11. ^ Ahmed, Ali Jimale (1995). The Invention of Somalia. Red Sea Press. ISBN 978-0-932415-98-1.
  12. ^ "Edging Farmajo towards the exit". Africa-confidential. May 12, 2021. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  13. ^ "De-classified Documents: Foreign Relations of the United States 1964-1968, Volume XXIV Africa:346. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State (Katzenbach) to President Johnson: March 12, 1968". Somali Watch (source: US Department of State, Washington). November 29, 2000. Archived from the original on 20 November 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
  14. ^ "SOMALIA PM Said "Cabinet will work tirelessly for the people of Somalia"". Midnimo. 17 January 2014. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.