Family and clan
Habar Gidir (Habr Gedir, Hiraab, Hawiye)
The Habar Gidir are a Hawiye clan in the Hiraab line, descended by tradition from Madarkicis. Their main branches are the Sacad, Saleebaan, Cayr and Saruur, with Sifaadle and Duduble linked to them. ACCORD calls them and the Abgaal the two most important Hawiye sub-divisions. They live mainly in Galgaduud, southern Mudug and Mogadishu.
Name and family tree
The Habar Gidir are a Hawiye clan in the Hiraab line. Wikipedia says their ancestor is Madarkicis Hiraab, and that Habar Gidir is the name of their mother, Gidir Karanle (Wikipedia, Habar Gidir, backup).
| Source | Line it gives |
|---|---|
| Abbink 2009 | Hirab > Madarki'is > Habr Gidir, with Sa'ad, 'Ayr, Saleeban and Saruur (Abbink, The Total Somali Clan Genealogy, 2009, p. 27) |
| ACCORD 2009 | The Habar Gidir and the Abgaal are "the two most important and commonly used sub-divisions" of the Hawiye (ACCORD, Clans in Somalia, 2009, p. 12) |
| World Bank 2005 (CRD chart) | Gorgate: Abgaal, Habar Gidir, Sheekhaal, Duduble and Udeejeen (World Bank, Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics, 2005, Appendix 2) |
| ACLED 2025 | Hawiye > Habar Gedir, with Ayr, Sacad, Saleban and Duduble (ACLED clan actor list, September 2025) |
| Somali Wikipedia (backup) | Madarkicis > Hiraab > Gorgaarte > Hawiye > Irir > Samaale (Somali Wikipedia, Habar Gidir, backup) |
Abbink lists Duduble beside the Habar Gidir under Hirab, not inside it (Abbink 2009, p. 27). See the Hawiye tree.
Main branches
Wikipedia gives five branches: Cayr (Maxamed Madarkicis), Sacad, Saleebaan, Saruur (Ibraahim Madarkicis) and Sifaadle (Wikipedia, Habar Gidir, backup). Abbink names these groups (Abbink 2009, p. 27):
| Branch | Groups named under it |
|---|---|
| Sa'ad | Reer Hiluwe, Reer Jalaf, Reer Nimale and Lugayare |
| 'Ayr (Cayr) | Absiye and Ayanle |
| Saleeban | Farah (with Mahamed Abdi and Heysow) and Dashame (with Gaabane and Abokor) |
| Saruur | none given |
ACLED codes many more groups (ACLED, September 2025):
- Sacad: Reer Nimcaale, Reer Jalaf, Reer Hilowle, Barkhadle, Farale, Indhayar and Sacad Muse
- Ayr: Ayanle, Bilaal, Cabsiiye, Habar Aji, Yabar Dhowrakace, Yabadhaalo and Saruur
- Saleban, Duduble (with Eli and Mohamed Amal), Jalah and Reer Aw Hassan
Somali Wikipedia says Saruur splits into Wacdaan and Nabadwaa, and Sifaadle into Daangaale and Mariid (Somali Wikipedia, backup). See Cayr and Ayaanle Cayr.
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 2009, p. 11).
| Place | What the sources record |
|---|---|
| Galgaduud | "Main clans in Galgaduud are Habar Gidir (Hawiye) sub-clans, Suleiman (or Suliman, Saleban), Ayr, Duduble" (EUAA 2025, Galgaduud) |
| Mudug | The Hawiye "(Habar Gidir Sa'ad sub-clan)" are dominant in the south (EUAA 2025, Mudug) |
| Mogadishu | "Mogadishu is inhabited largely by Hawiye from the clans Abgaal, Habar Gedir and Murosade" (EUAA Country Focus 2025) |
| Lower Shabelle | Records name Habar Gidir land claims in Afgoye and Marka districts (EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.5.1) |
Wikipedia adds Hobyo and Galkacyo, and the Somali Region of Ethiopia (Wikipedia, backup). See Galgaduud and Mudug.
History on record
- Late 1600s to 1889. Wikipedia says the Habar Gidir were part of the Hiraab Imamate, from Banaadir to Mudug (Wikipedia, backup).
- 1956 to 1960. Abdullahi Issa, of the Sacad Reer Nimcaale, led the government of the Trust Territory (same source). See the Somali Youth League.
- 1991. The United Somali Congress split in two. The Library of Congress names an Abgaal wing under Ali Mahdi and a Habar Gidir wing under Mohamed Farrah Aidid (Library of Congress).
- 2000 to 2004. Abdiqasim Salad Hassan, a Cayr Absiiye, was president of the Transitional National Government (Wikipedia, backup).
- 2019. The UK Home Office quotes a report on the SNA Third Brigade, "a Hawiye/HabarGedir dominated force". The report says it was used in Lower Shabelle to advance Habar Gidir farmland claims (UK Home Office, CPIN Somalia: clans, 2019).
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).
ACCORD writes that some Rer Hamar households have ties with strong clans, "especially Hawiye Abgal and Habr Gedir, through marriage". It says this gives them a level of protection (ACCORD 2009, p. 17). Somali Wikipedia says the Cayr ugaas line holds ten elders in succession (Somali Wikipedia, Ayaanle Cayr, backup). See xeer, Somali customary law.
In recent conflict records
The EUAA lists these conflicts, active in April 2023 to March 2025 (EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.5.1):
- Geledi and Wacdaan against Habar Gidir, in Afgoye district.
- Biyomaal (Dir) against Habar Gidir, in Marka district.
- Saleebaan against Duduble, and Saleebaan against Cayr, in Cadaado and Dhuusamareeb districts.
- Cayr against Duduble, outside Dhuusamareeb.
- Sacad against Leelkase, in Galkacyo and Galdogob districts, with revenge killings "over the past 40 years".
- Sacad against Cumar Maxamuud (Majeerteen), in Galkacyo and Jiriiban. Dormant as of February 2025.
- Saleebaan, Sacad and Cayr against Mareexaan groups in Galgaduud and Mudug.
The EUAA says ACLED counted 32 incidents between Habar Gidir and Mareexaan militias in Galgaduud (EUAA 2025, Galgaduud). See Mareexaan and clan conflicts, district by district.
Where sources differ
- Duduble. Abbink and the World Bank list the Duduble beside the Habar Gidir. ACLED codes them under the Habar Gidir.
- Sifaadle. Wikipedia counts Sifaadle as a fifth branch. Abbink does not name it.
- Sacad's line. Somali Wikipedia includes an uncited account that traces the Sacad through a different ancestor. Other sources here place Sacad under Madarkicis.
Read more
Sources
- Wikipedia, Habar Gidir, backup · en.wikipedia.org
- Abbink, The Total Somali Clan Genealogy, 2009, p. 27 · hdl.handle.net
- ACCORD, Clans in Somalia, 2009, p. 12 · ecoi.net
- World Bank, Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics, 2005, Appendix 2 · openknowledge.worldbank.org
- ACLED clan actor list, September 2025 · acleddata.com
- Somali Wikipedia, Habar Gidir, backup · so.wikipedia.org
- EUAA 2025, Galgaduud · euaa.europa.eu
- EUAA 2025, Mudug · euaa.europa.eu
- EUAA Country Focus 2025 · coi.euaa.europa.eu
- Library of Congress · countrystudies.us
- UK Home Office, CPIN Somalia: clans, 2019 · ecoi.net
- Somali Wikipedia, Ayaanle Cayr, backup · so.wikipedia.org
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