Family and clan
Harti (Darod clan group)
The Harti are a group of Darod clans that trace their line to Saleh Abdi, called Harti. Their best-known clans are the Majeerteen, Dhulbahante and Warsangali, with smaller ones such as the Dishiishe. They live mainly in Puntland, in Sool and Sanaag, and in Kismayo, with communities in Ethiopia and Kenya.
Name and family tree
The Harti are a group of clans within the Darod. Wikipedia traces them to Saleh Abdi Harti (Wikipedia, Harti, backup).
| Source | Line it gives |
|---|---|
| Abbink 2009 | Darod > Kablalah > Kombe-Harti (Abbink, The Total Somali Clan Genealogy, 2009) |
| ACCORD 2009 | One of the "three major groups" of the Darod, with the Ogaden and Marehan (ACCORD, Clans in Somalia, 2009, p. 12) |
| UK Home Office 2019 | "The Harti are a federation of three clans" (UK Home Office, CPIN Somalia: clans, 2019, quoting EASO 2014) |
| World Bank 2005 | Harti sits beside the Ogaden, Marehan, Awrtable and Leelkase under the Darod (World Bank, Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics, 2005, Appendix 2) |
| ACLED 2025 | Darod > Harti, with Dhulbahante, Garikombe, Janbeel, Kaski Qabe, Leelkayse and Warsangeli coded under it (ACLED clan actor list, September 2025) |
See the Darod tree.
Main branches
Abbink lists a long set of lines under Kombe-Harti (Abbink 2009, Darod chart):
| Line | Groups named under it |
|---|---|
| Mora Hasse | Tinleh, Dashishe, Kaptanle and Maganlabbe |
| Mahamed Harti | D'ulbahante (Se'ed Harti) and Majerteen (Mohamed Harti) |
| Warsangeli | Omer, Ogeyslabe, Hinjiye, 'Iise, Garad and about twenty more |
| Other lines | Geh, Haile, Jambel, Amlaleh, Jiram, Wabeneya, Abdirahim, Ibrahim, Warlaabe, Gerri, Kaskikabe, Gashanle, Gesagul, Ugastabe and Libangashe |
Wikipedia gives a shorter list from the World Bank and a 2001 UK Home Office report. It names Mohamed Harti (Majeerteen), Mohamoud Harti (Warsangali), Ahmed Harti (Dishiishe), Said Harti (Dhulbahante) and Abdirahman Harti (Kaskiqabe) (Wikipedia, Harti, backup).
See Majeerteen, Dhulbahante, Warsangali and Dishiishe.
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 |
|---|---|
| Puntland | ACCORD places the Majeerteen "now are found in Puntland mainly" (ACCORD 2009, p. 12) |
| Sool and Sanaag | The Dhulbahante and Warsangeli "live in the disputed border areas between Puntland and Somaliland" (UK Home Office 2019) |
| Kismayo | The EASO says the Harti control "a pocket of rangeland to the immediate north and west of Kismayo city" (EASO, Somalia: Security situation, 2021) |
| Gedo | The EASO lists Harti among long-settled groups in Baardheere (EASO 2021) |
| Ethiopia and Kenya | Wikipedia places Harti in the Dollo Zone of Ethiopia and in Kenya's former North Eastern Province (Wikipedia, Harti, backup) |
See Bari, Nugaal, Sool, Sanaag and Lower Juba.
History on record
- 1700s to 1920s. The Majeerteen and Warsangali sultanates ruled parts of the north-east coast. See the Majeerteen and Hobyo sultanates.
- 1899 to 1920. Wikipedia says the Dervishes "mostly hailed from the Dhulbahante" (Wikipedia, Harti, backup). See the Dervish movement.
- 1998. Wikipedia says a three-month Harti conference at Garowe founded the Puntland State of Somalia. Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed became its first president (same source). See Puntland.
- 2009. ACCORD wrote that Puntland disputes land held by the Dhulbahante and Warsangeli inside Somaliland. Its aim, ACCORD says, is "to make these groups unite with the Harti group in Puntland" (ACCORD 2009, p. 12, note 14).
- 2023. The EUAA cites Markus Hoehne: fighting at Laas Caanood involved "the Harti clan coalition", most of them Dhulbahante (EUAA 2025, Sool). See North Eastern State.
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 traditional elders, called Issims, attended the 1998 Garowe conference (Wikipedia, Harti, backup). See xeer, Somali customary law.
In recent conflict records
The EUAA lists disputes between Harti clans and with their neighbours (EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.5.1):
- Dhulbahante against Omar Mahamoud (Majeerteen) in the Adadda area, Nugaal and Sool.
- Isse Mahamoud (Majeerteen) against Dhulbahante in Burtinle district, Nugaal.
- Dhulbahante against Habar Yoonis and Habar Je'lo (Isaaq) in Sool, Sanaag and Togdheer.
- Warsangeli sub-clans against each other in Ceerigaabo and Laasqoray.
- Majeerteen sub-clans against each other in Kismayo, "currently dormant".
See clan conflicts, district by district.
Where sources differ
- Members. ACCORD and the UK Home Office name three clans. Wikipedia adds the Dishiishe and Kaskiqabe. Abbink lists over twenty lines.
- Leelkase. ACLED codes Leelkayse under Harti. The World Bank chart puts Leelkase beside Harti, and Abbink places Leelkase under Tanadleh.
- Founder's name. Wikipedia names Saleh Abdi. Abbink uses Kombe-Harti for the same branch.
Read more
Sources
- Wikipedia, Harti, backup · en.wikipedia.org
- Abbink, The Total Somali Clan Genealogy, 2009 · hdl.handle.net
- ACCORD, Clans in Somalia, 2009, p. 12 · ecoi.net
- UK Home Office, CPIN Somalia: clans, 2019, quoting EASO 2014 · ecoi.net
- World Bank, Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics, 2005, Appendix 2 · openknowledge.worldbank.org
- ACLED clan actor list, September 2025 · acleddata.com
- EASO, Somalia: Security situation, 2021 · coi.euaa.europa.eu
- EUAA 2025, Sool · euaa.europa.eu
- EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.5.1 · coi.euaa.europa.eu
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Where this matters
Same era
- Australia18,401 people of Somali ancestry and 8,101 born in Somalia lived in Australia at the 2021 Census, more than half in Victoria. History, work, issues.
- Birmingham (Somali diaspora)About 17,000 to 21,600 Somalis live in Birmingham (Census 2021), mostly in Nechells, Newtown, Small Heath and Alum Rock. History, work, health and ties home.
- Bristol (Somali diaspora)9,167 people in Bristol identified as Somali or Somalilander in Census 2021, the city's largest minority group. Where they live, work, housing, leaders and ties home.
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada2,845 people of Somali origin lived in Calgary at the 2021 Census, plus 890 in Brooks. How they came, who serves them and what they face.
- Denmark (Somali diaspora)21,885 people of Somali origin lived in Denmark in 2026, half born there. Numbers, history, work, permit reviews, and ties home.
- DjiboutiAbout 13,900 refugees from Somalia live in Djibouti (Aug 2026): numbers since 1990, Ali Addeh, Holl-Holl, the 2017 refugee law, Arta 2000 and 2025 returns.
Keep reading
- Somali clan tree: DarodEvery Darod clan, sub-clan and lineage in Abbink 2009 and ACLED 2025, level by level, as one part of the Somali clan tree.
- Somali clan tree: DirEvery Dir clan, sub-clan and lineage in Abbink 2009 and ACLED 2025, level by level, as one part of the Somali clan tree.
- Somali clan tree: every clan, sub-clan and lineageThe full Somali clan tree, family by family down to diya-paying groups, from Abbink 2009, ACLED 2025 and the World Bank, with a download.
- Somali clan tree: groups outside the clan familiesGroups Abbink places outside the Somali clan families, and the Somali Bantu groups in ACLED 2025: part of the Somali clan tree.
- Somali clan tree: HawiyeEvery Hawiye clan, sub-clan and lineage in Abbink 2009 and ACLED 2025, level by level, as one part of the Somali clan tree.
- Somali clan tree: IsaaqEvery Isaaq clan, sub-clan and lineage in Abbink 2009 and ACLED 2025, level by level, as one part of the Somali clan tree.