Family and clan
Jidwaaq (Jidwaq, Absame, Darod)
The Jidwaaq (Jidwaq) are a Darod clan of the Absame line. Their three main branches are the Abaskuul, the Yabarre and the Bartire. They live mainly around Jigjiga in Ethiopia's Somali Region, with groups in Jubaland and Kenya. The 1500s chronicle of Imam Ahmad's wars names their ancestors among the Somali forces of Adal.
Name and family tree
The Jidwaaq are a clan of the Darod. Wikipedia places them in the Absame branch and says the name means "the path of God" (Wikipedia, Jidwaq, backup).
| Source | Line it gives |
|---|---|
| Abbink 2009 | Darod > Kablalah > Kumade > Jid Waaq (Abbink, The Total Somali Clan Genealogy, 2009) |
| ACLED 2025 | Codes Darod > Bartire > Jidwaaq (ACLED clan actor list, September 2025) |
| Wikipedia (backup) | A major sub-clan of the Absame Darod, with three branches (Wikipedia, Jidwaq, backup) |
See the Darod tree.
Main branches
Abbink lists five groups under Jid Waaq: Abasgul, Bartire, Yabareg, Bah Geri Kombe and Tagal Waaq (Abbink 2009, Darod chart). Under the same Kumade line he also lists Galimeris, Absame, Abaskul, 'Abdi, Yabarre, Bartire, Balad and Weiten.
Wikipedia names three branches today (Wikipedia, Jidwaq, backup):
| Branch | Other name |
|---|---|
| Rooble Jidwaaq | Abaskuul |
| Shahrudin Jidwaaq | Yabarre |
| Barre Jidwaaq | Bartire |
Wikipedia's Bartire article says the Habr Maqdi were an older union of the Bartire and Yabarre, now part of the Jidwaaq (Wikipedia, Bartire, backup). See Bartire.
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 |
|---|---|
| Ethiopia's Somali Region | Wikipedia places them mainly in the Jigjiga area, in Fafan Zone. It cites the UNHCR: most are agro-pastoralists who farm and keep livestock (Wikipedia, Jidwaq, backup) |
| Middle Juba | The EASO places "a pocket of the Bartire (Darood) clan" on the river's west bank, in the Hagar area (EASO, Somalia: Security situation, 2021) |
| Jubaland | Wikipedia places Jidwaaq south of Bu'aale (Wikipedia, Jidwaq, backup) |
| Kenya | Wikipedia places them in the former North Eastern Province (same source) |
See Somalis in Ethiopia, Middle Juba and Somalis in Kenya.
History on record
- 1500s. The Futuh al-Habasha chronicle names "the tribe of Girri" with "their chieftain Ahmad Girri" among Imam Ahmad's Somali forces. Wikipedia reads Girri as the Jidwaaq (Wikipedia, Jidwaq, backup). See the sultans of Ifat and Adal.
- 1854 to 1855. Richard Burton wrote that the Berteri "are estimated at 3000 shields" and "own allegiance to the Gerad Hirsi" (Wikipedia, Bartire, backup).
- 1800s. Garaad Xirsi Faarax, called Wiil Waal, led the Bartire from Jigjiga (same source). A bilingual children's book tells his story today.
- 1840s. A Royal Geographical Society journal called the "Burtirrh, and Girrhi" the "two most western branches of the family of Darood" (Wikipedia, Jidwaq, backup).
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).
The Bartire title is Garaad. Wikipedia says Jigjiga is traditionally the seat of the Bartire Garaad (Wikipedia, Bartire, backup). See xeer, Somali customary law.
In recent conflict records
The EUAA's 2025 list of major clan conflicts does not name the Jidwaaq (EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.5.1). Elsewhere the same report lists an abduction on 25 August 2024. Eight Marehan and Bartire civilians were taken in Saakow after "crossing to the grazing land of the Auliyan clan" (same source). See clan conflicts, district by district.
Where sources differ
- Bartire and Jidwaaq. Abbink and Wikipedia put the Bartire under the Jidwaaq. ACLED codes the Jidwaaq under the Bartire, and also codes a Bartire group under the Ogaden.
- Absame. Wikipedia places the Jidwaaq under Absame. Abbink lists Absame and Jid Waaq side by side under Kumade.
Read more
Sources
- Wikipedia, Jidwaq, backup · en.wikipedia.org
- Abbink, The Total Somali Clan Genealogy, 2009 · hdl.handle.net
- ACLED clan actor list, September 2025 · acleddata.com
- Wikipedia, Bartire, backup · en.wikipedia.org
- ACCORD, Clans in Somalia, 2009, p. 11 · ecoi.net
- EASO, Somalia: Security situation, 2021 · coi.euaa.europa.eu
- UK Home Office, CPIN Somalia: clans, 2019, quoting EASO 2014 · ecoi.net
- 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.