Dhulbahante

The Dhulbahante (Somali: Duulbaahaante, Arabic: البهانتة‎‎) is a Somali clan, part of the larger Harti Darod clan. Members primarily inhabit the Sool, Nugal, Sanaag and Ayn regions of the Republic of Somalia, the Haud, as well as the port city of Kismayo in Somalia.

Tradition

Currently, there are 13 active Garaads (clan chiefs). The most senior Garaad of the traditional Dhulbahante leaders is Garad Jama Garad Ali.^[1][2] Politically, all clan chiefs strongly oppose the existence of Somaliland (see the Boocame Declaration by Dulbahante Traditional clan chiefs for reference).^[3]

Under the leadership of Sayid Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, the Dhulbahante Dervishes waged war against Britain and Ethiopia for over twenty years, which ended with the British Royal Air Force bombing their command center in Taleex in 1920.^[4]

Clan tree

Main Dhulbahante area of inhabitation.

There is no clear agreement on the clan and sub-clan structures and many lineages are omitted. Within the Dhulbahante clan, according to the researches of I.M. Lewis, the Dhulbahante are divided into 50 groups which pay diyya (or blood money for their members. These are gathered into four lineages of unequal size: the Muuse Si'iid, who made up the majority of the clan circa 1960, and in turn is highly segmented into numerous lineages; the Ahmad Si'iid, (also known as the Hayaag), which Lewis estimated to number 1,000 male members at the time but now estimated at 7,500 male members; and the Malbammad Si'iid, and the Yuunis Si'iid, which he described as "small, insignificant, and incapable of independent political action."^[5] The following listing is taken from the World Bank's Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics from 2005 and the United Kingdom's Home Office publication, Somalia Assessment 2001.^[6][7]

• Darod (Daarood)
  • Marehan
    • Red Dini
    • Rer Hassan
    • Eli Dheere
  • Kabalah
    • Absame
      • Ogaden
        • Makabul
        • Mohamed Zubeir
        • Aulihan
      • Jidwaq
    • Harti
      • Dhulbahante (Dolbahante)
      • Warsangali (Warsengeli)
      • Majeerteen (Mijerteen)
        • Omar Mahmud
        • Issa Mahmud
        • Osman Mahmoud (Osman Mahmud)

Dulbahante traditional clan chiefs declaration

An historic summit was convened in Boocame from November 15 – November 23 of 2007, by the traditional leaders of the Dulbahante (Dhulbahante) sub-clan of the Darod clan in Somalia. The Dulbahante traditional chiefs issued an official communiqué on October 15, 2007 regarding the secessionist Somaliland region's militias’ aggression and occupation of Laascaanood (LasAnod), the regional capital of Sool, Sanaag and Cayn regions of Somalia.^[8][9][10]

All 14 major traditional chiefs of the Dulbahante clan attended this summit. In addition to the traditional chiefs, there were many intellectuals (women & men), students and civic organizations from outside and inside of the country attending the summit. All chiefs unanimously signed declaration communiqué on November 22, 2007.

The communiqué states that the Dulbahante clan is not part of (and was never part of) and does not recognize the administration that calls itself "Somaliland" and that there are no agreements between Dulbahante clan and "Somaliland", in the past or the present. The communiqué also calls for an immediate end of hostility, return of customary peaceful co-existences among clans and an unconditional removal of the Somaliland militia from their territory. Finally, chiefs declared that the Dulbahante clan stands for the Somali unity.

In the anniversary of their historic summit in Boocame in November 2007, the Dulbahante Traditional Chiefs (SSC Traditional Leaders Council) reiterated their previous declaration (above) that they are not part of the Somaliland separatist movement. The council sent its pronouncement to the European Union, United Nations Agencies and all NGOs that operate within Somalia.

Notable Dhulbahante people

• Abdi Bile, a former middle distance runner from Somalia and 1500m world champion in 1987.
• Abdisamad Ali Shire, former Vice President of Puntland.
• Ahmed Elmi Osman, Minister of Interior of Puntland and former President of Khatumo State.
• Ali Garad Jama, member of the United Somali Party, Somali Minister of Education during the 1960s, and ostensible king of the Dhulbahante clan.^[11]
• Ali Khalif Galaydh, former Prime Minister under the Transitional National Government.
• Amina Mohamed, former Chairman of the International Organization for Migration and the World Trade Organisation's General Council, and current Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Kenya.
• Garad Abdulghani Garad Jama, senior Garaad 1985-2006^[12]
• Jama Garad Ali, the most senior Dhulbahante Garaad^[13]
• Mohamed Abdi Hashi, Second President of Puntland, October 2004 - January 2005.
• Saado Ali Warsame, singer-songwriter and former MP in the Federal Parliament of Somalia
• Eng Mohamed Isse Lacle, Colonel of Somali Navy and former Deputy Minister in Puntland Ministry of Ports, Maritime and Counter Piracy.^[14]

References