# Ciise Muuse (Isa Musa, Habar Awal, Isaaq) > The Ciise Muuse (Isa Musa) of the Habar Awal and Isaaq: family tree, the Abokor, Idiris, Aadan and Maxamed lines, Hargeisa and Berbera, and records. Source page: https://calankii.com/en/society/ciise-muuse/ Last checked: 2026-11-12 Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com) ## Name and family tree The Ciise Muuse are a Somali clan, written Isa Musa or Isse Muse in English. All the sources used here place them in the Habar Awal line of the [Isaaq](/en/society/isaaq/). | Source | Line it gives | |---|---| | Abbink 2009 | Habr Awal > Zubeir > Muuse > 'Iisa, with Aadan, Abokor and Mohammed below it ([Abbink, *The Total Somali Clan Genealogy*, 2009, p. 32](https://hdl.handle.net/1887/14007)) | | ACLED 2025 | Isaaq > Issa Muse, and Isaaq > Habar Awal > Isa Muse ([ACLED clan actor list, September 2025](https://acleddata.com/system/files/2025-10/Somalia-clan-actor-old-to-new-list_16-September-2025.xlsx)) | | EUAA 2025 | "The Isaaq/Habar Awal clans (Sa'ad Muse and Isse Muse)" ([EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 2.2.1](https://coi.euaa.europa.eu/administration/easo/PLib/2025_05_EUAA_COI_Report_Somalia_Country_Focus.pdf)) | | Wikipedia (backup) | Isa, son of Musa, son of Zubayr, son of Abdirahman (Habar Awal), son of Sheikh Isaaq ([Wikipedia, Isa Musa, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isa_Musa)) | Their closest kin in Abbink's tree is the [Sa'ad](/en/society/sacad-habar-gidir/), also under Muuse (Abbink 2009, p. 32). See [the Isaaq tree](/en/society/somali-clan-tree-isaaq/). ## Main branches Wikipedia names four main lines: Abokor Ciise, Idiris Ciise, Aadan Ciise and Maxamed Ciise ([Wikipedia, Isa Musa, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isa_Musa)). Somali Wikipedia gives a longer tree ([Somali Wikipedia, Ciise Muuse, backup](https://so.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciise_Muuse)): | Line | Groups named under it | |---|---| | Aadan Ciise | Jibriil Aadan, with Maxamuud, Xasan, Ibraahim and Ismaaciil Jibriil | | Abokor Ciise | Cumar Abokor (with Xasan and Yuusuf Cumar) and Cismaan Abokor (with Samane and Cali Cismaan) | | Idiris Ciise | Cabdi Waadhor (with Reer Daahir and Reer Hayaan) and Cali Waadhor | | Maxamed Ciise | Xasan Maxamed (the eldest), Jibriil Maxamed, Cabdiraxmaan Muuse and Cabdulle Muuse | Under Muuse Jibriil it names [Cali Muuse](/en/people/ali-musse/), whose lines include Reer Iidle, Reer Sahal, Reer Wacays, Reer Abane, Reer Had and Reer Xildiid. Under Cabdulle Muuse it names Cabdalle Qoyan and Xasan Cabdulle (same source). ACLED also codes an "Issa Muse-Abdalla Qoyan" group. ## 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](https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1193130/90_1261130976_accord-report-clans-in-somaliarevised-edition-20091215.pdf)). | Place | What the sources record | |---|---| | Hargeisa | The Sa'ad Muse and Isse Muse "predominantly populate Ibraahim Koodbuur, as well as the 26th June district and parts of Gacan Libaah" (EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 2.2.1) | | Woqooyi Galbeed | The Habar Awal predominate "from the coast on the Gulf of Aden up to the Ethiopian border" ([EASO, *Somalia: Security situation*, 2021](https://coi.euaa.europa.eu/administration/easo/PLib/2021_09_EASO_COI_Report_Somalia_Security_situation.pdf)) | | Berbera | Wikipedia calls Berbera and the coastal plain their traditional area ([Wikipedia, Isa Musa, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isa_Musa)) | | Other places | Wikipedia adds Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti and the diaspora (same source) | See [Woqooyi Galbeed](/en/regions/woqooyi-galbeed/). ## History on record - **1855 to 1856.** Wikipedia says British officials in Aden blamed mainly the Isa Musa for an attack on Richard Burton's camp at Berbera. Britain then blockaded Berbera ([Wikipedia, Isa Musa, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isa_Musa)). - **1800s.** Wikipedia says the Isa Musa took a toll on caravans entering Berbera. It quotes a rate of 4 *anas* per loaded camel (same source). - **1960 to 1969.** [Mohamed Haji Ibrahim Egal](/en/people/mohamed-haji-ibrahim-egal/) was prime minister of Somalia, and later president of Somaliland from 1993 to 2002. Wikipedia lists him as Isa Musa (same source). - **1979 to 1990.** Wikipedia says [Abdulrahim Abby Farah](/en/people/abdulrahim-abby-farah/), an Isa Musa, was a UN Under-Secretary-General (same source). See [Somaliland, 1991 to 2026](/en/states/somaliland-1991-to-2026/). ## 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](https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2002542/Somalia_-_Clans_-_CPIN_V3.0e.pdf)). Wikipedia names Sultan Osman Sultan Ali Koshin as the current general sultan of the Isa Musa. It says his family has long held the title ([Wikipedia, Isa Musa, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isa_Musa)). See [xeer, Somali customary law](/en/society/xeer-customary-law/). ## In recent conflict records The EUAA conflict list for April 2023 to March 2025 does not name the Ciise Muuse. It does list disputes between the wider Habar Awal and other Isaaq groups in [Burco](/en/regions/togdheer/) and Hargeisa ([EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.5.1](https://coi.euaa.europa.eu/administration/easo/PLib/2025_05_EUAA_COI_Report_Somalia_Country_Focus.pdf)). See [clan conflicts, district by district](/en/society/clan-conflicts/). ## Where sources differ - **Placement.** ACLED codes them once directly under the Isaaq and once under the Habar Awal. - **Lineages.** Abbink lists three lines under 'Iisa. Wikipedia and Somali Wikipedia give four, adding Idiris. - **History.** The Berbera history comes from Wikipedia, a backup source. ## Read more - [Isaaq](/en/society/isaaq/) - [The Isaaq tree](/en/society/somali-clan-tree-isaaq/) - [Woqooyi Galbeed](/en/regions/woqooyi-galbeed/) - [Sacad Muuse](/en/society/sacad-muuse/) - [Habar Awal](/en/society/habar-awal/) --- I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.