Family and clan
Arap (Carab, Arab Isaaq)
The Arap (Carab, Arab) are an Isaaq clan of the Habar Magaadle. Abbink lists Elli, 'Idman, 'Abdulla and Isma'iil under them. The EUAA says they live in Hargeisa's Ahmed Dhagah district. Wikipedia places them south and west of Hargeisa, around Baligubadle and the Haud, and says Baligubadle was an SNM headquarters.
Name and family tree
The Arap are a clan of the Isaaq, in the Habar Magaadle group. In Somali the name is written Carab. Wikipedia notes they are a Somali clan, not the Arab people (Wikipedia, Arap, backup).
| Source | Line it gives |
|---|---|
| Abbink 2009 | Isaaq > Habr Magaadleh > Arap (Arab) (Abbink, The Total Somali Clan Genealogy, 2009, p. 32) |
| ACLED 2025 | Isaaq > Arab, with Arab Abdalla, Arab Salah and Musa Celi-Barsuug (ACLED clan actor list, September 2025) |
| EUAA 2025 | "The Isaaq/Arab and Isaaq/Ayub clans populate Ahmed Dhagah" (EUAA Country Focus 2025) |
| Wikipedia (backup) | Muhammad (Arap), one of the eight sons of Sheikh Isaaq (Wikipedia, Arap, backup) |
Wikipedia says the Arap and the Garxajis are called "twin clans" in genealogy traditions (same source). See the Isaaq tree.
Main branches
Abbink lists these groups (Abbink 2009, p. 32):
| Line | Groups named under it |
|---|---|
| Elli (Celi) | Mohamed, with Ahmed, Musa and Zubeir under him |
| 'Idman | none given |
| 'Abdulla (Cabdalle) | none given |
| Isma'iil | Musa, with Gadwein under him |
Wikipedia names three sub-clans: the Cabdalle Carab, the Celi Carab and the Muuse Celi (Wikipedia, Arap, backup). ACLED codes an Arab Salah group, and a Barsuug group under Musa Celi (ACLED 2025). No Somali Wikipedia page on the Arap was found when this page was written.
Where they live
No census counts Somalis by clan. ACCORD notes that Somalis often claim more members than their groups have, "in order to demonstrate strength" (ACCORD, Clans in Somalia, 2009, p. 11).
| Place | What the sources record |
|---|---|
| Hargeisa | The EUAA places them in Ahmed Dhagah district, with the Ayuub (EUAA Country Focus 2025). Wikipedia places them in the middle and south-west of the city (Wikipedia, Arap, backup) |
| Baligubadle and the Haud | Wikipedia says Baligubadle district is Arap land, and that they live widely in the Haud (same source) |
| Ethiopia | It names Faafan, Gursum and Dhagaxle (same source) |
| Togdheer and Sahil | It places the Cabdalle Carab there (same source) |
| Bakool | It places the Muuse Celi in Rabdhure and Ceel Barde districts (same source) |
See Woqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer and Bakool.
History on record
- 1500s. Wikipedia says the Futuh al-Habasha names the Arap among the Habar Magaadle fighters of Imam Ahmad (Wikipedia, Arap, backup). See Imam Ahmad and Adal.
- 1916. It lists three Arap men named in Geoffrey Archer's list of Dervish leaders (same source). See the Dervish movement.
- 1980s. It says Baligubadle was the headquarters of the Somali National Movement. It says Sultan Mohamed Sultan Farah was the first sultan to leave for Ethiopia and work with the SNM, in 1983 (same source). See the Isaaq genocide.
- 1990s. It says the Arap were the first clan to agree to hand in weapons. It describes a ceremony in Hargeisa's football stadium in early 1994 (same source).
- People. Wikipedia lists Edna Adan Ismail, Hassan Isse Jama and the archaeologist Sada Mire among Arap people. It also lists the Al-Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane (same source).
Elders and customary law
Senior Somali clan leaders carry titles such as suldaan, ugaas or issim. Their role is "mainly judicial and representative" (UK Home Office, CPIN Somalia: clans, 2019, quoting EASO 2014).
Wikipedia says Sultan Mohamed Sultan Farah led the Arap through the 1990s disarmament. It says his son, Sultan Umar Sultan Mohamed, succeeded him in 2003 and led until his death in 2021 (Wikipedia, Arap, backup). See xeer, Somali customary law.
In recent conflict records
The EUAA conflict list for April 2023 to March 2025 does not name the Arap (EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.5.1). It names the Arap only when describing where clans live in Hargeisa. See clan conflicts, district by district.
Where sources differ
- Sub-clans. Abbink lists Elli, 'Idman, 'Abdulla and Isma'iil. Wikipedia names the Cabdalle Carab, Celi Carab and Muuse Celi.
- Arab Salah. ACLED codes an Arab Salah group under the Isaaq, but also lists the name "Darood-Arab Salah". The two may be different groups.
- Sources. Wikipedia's Arap article cites few sources for its claims.
Read more
Sources
- Wikipedia, Arap, backup · en.wikipedia.org
- Abbink, The Total Somali Clan Genealogy, 2009, p. 32 · hdl.handle.net
- ACLED clan actor list, September 2025 · acleddata.com
- EUAA Country Focus 2025 · coi.euaa.europa.eu
- ACCORD, Clans in Somalia, 2009, p. 11 · ecoi.net
- UK Home Office, CPIN Somalia: clans, 2019, quoting EASO 2014 · ecoi.net
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