# Garre (Gurreh, Digil and pre-Hawiye) > The Garre (Gurreh): Digil and pre-Hawiye lines, Tuuf and Quranyo, Lower Shabelle, Gedo, Kenya and Ethiopia, the Futuh al-Habasha, and conflict records. Source page: https://calankii.com/en/society/garre/ Last checked: 2026-11-13 Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com) ## Name and family tree The Garre are a Somali clan. The name is also written Gurreh, Garreh and Gerra. Sources place them in different families. | Source | Line it gives | |---|---| | Abbink 2009 | Two places: Digil > Garre, and Gardere-Yakabur-Mayle > Mayle > Gerra (Tuf and Kuranyo) ([Abbink, *The Total Somali Clan Genealogy*, 2009](https://hdl.handle.net/1887/14007)) | | World Bank 2005 | Under the Digil, with the Geledi, Tunni, Jiiddo, Begedi and Shanta-Alen ([World Bank, *Conflict in Somalia*, 2005, Appendix 2](https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/b2109b26-2d10-5ac6-85c2-dbfa820c5f6e)) | | ACCORD 2009 | "Often considered as part of the Digil / Rahanweyn group, but are sometimes also described as being distinct as a group of its own" ([ACCORD, *Clans in Somalia*, 2009, p. 20](https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/1193130/90_1261130976_accord-report-clans-in-somaliarevised-edition-20091215.pdf)) | | EASO 2021 | "Some argue the Garre are distant kin of the Hawiye clan family, others argue the clan is more closely associated with the Digil-Mirifle" ([EASO, *Somalia: Security situation*, 2021](https://coi.euaa.europa.eu/administration/easo/PLib/2021_09_EASO_COI_Report_Somalia_Security_situation.pdf)) | | ACLED 2025 | Rahanweyn > Digil > Garre, and Garre Maqabul ([ACLED clan actor list, September 2025](https://acleddata.com/system/files/2025-10/Somalia-clan-actor-old-to-new-list_16-September-2025.xlsx)) | See [the Rahanweyn tree](/en/society/somali-clan-tree-rahanweyn/) and [Gardere, Yakabur and Mayle](/en/society/gardere-yakabur-and-mayle/). ## Main branches Abbink lists two Gerra lines under Mayle: Tuf and Kuranyo (Abbink 2009). Wikipedia tells a tradition that the founder had two sons, Tuff and Qur'an ([Wikipedia, Garre, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garre)). Wikipedia also describes three Garre groups by speech. The first speak Oromo, in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya. The Garre Marre live along the Ganale Doria and [Dawa](/en/regions/dawa-river/) rivers. The Garre Konfuur live in south-central Somalia (same source). ACLED codes a Garre Maqabul group under the Digil (ACLED 2025). ## 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 | |---|---| | Lower Shabelle | The EASO lists the Garre among the largest long-settled Digil-Mirifle groups (EASO 2021) | | Qoryooley | The EUAA records a Garre and Jiido dispute in Qoryooley district ([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)) | | Gedo | "In El Waq district, the Marehan share the region with the Garre clan, which speaks Oromo as well as Somali" (EASO 2021) | | Kenya and Ethiopia | Wikipedia places Garre in Kenya's former North Eastern Province and in southern Ethiopia ([Wikipedia, Garre, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garre)) | See [Lower Shabelle](/en/regions/lower-shabelle/), [Gedo](/en/regions/gedo/), [Somalis in Kenya](/en/diaspora/kenya/) and [Somalis in Ethiopia](/en/diaspora/ethiopia/). ## History on record - **1500s.** Wikipedia says the *Futuh al-Habasha* names Imam Mataan bin Uthmaan at the head of a Somali force. It calls him a Garre leader ([Wikipedia, Garre, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garre)). - **1700s.** Wikipedia says the Garre controlled trade from Luuq to Borana country, using Oromo as the trade language (same source). - **June to July 2024.** The EUAA records "a clash in [Qoryooley](/en/regions/qoryooley/) between the Jiido and Garre clans (both part of Digil)". It says the clash "reportedly left at least two people dead" ([EUAA 2025, Lower Shabelle](https://www.euaa.europa.eu/coi/somalia/2025/security-situation/22-south-west/223-lower-shabelle)). ## 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 says Galgala, on the Dawa river, "is looked on as a tribal headquarter and is the burying place of the chiefs" ([Wikipedia, Garre, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garre)). See [xeer, Somali customary law](/en/society/xeer-customary-law/). ## In recent conflict records The EUAA lists "Garre (Digil/Rahanweyne) versus Jiido (Digil/Rahanweyne), in the Qoryoole District, [Lower Shabelle](/en/infrastructure/k50-airstrip/) Region" ([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 [Jiiddu](/en/society/jiiddu/) and [clan conflicts, district by district](/en/society/clan-conflicts/). ## Where sources differ - **Family.** The World Bank, ACLED and ACCORD lean to the Digil. Abbink also lists a Gerra line under the "pre-Hawiye" Mayle. The EASO reports both views. - **Ancestor.** Wikipedia traces the Garre to [Samaale](/en/history/where-the-somalis-come-from/) through Gardheere. Saab is the usual ancestor of the Digil (UK Home Office 2019). - **Old claims.** Wikipedia carries claims about the founding of Baraawe and Kismayo and about genetics. The other sources here do not support them. ## Read more - [Digil](/en/society/digil/) - [Rahanweyn](/en/society/rahanweyn/) - [Gardere, Yakabur and Mayle](/en/society/gardere-yakabur-and-mayle/) - [Jiiddu](/en/society/jiiddu/) - [Tunni](/en/society/tunni/) --- I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.