# Tunni (Digil, Rahanweyn) > The Tunni of the Digil and Rahanweyn: five lines, Baraawe, Qoryooley and Jamaame, the Tunni Sultanate, Tunni Torre, and records, with EUAA and Abbink sources. Source page: https://calankii.com/en/society/tunni/ Last checked: 2026-11-13 Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com) ## Name and family tree The Tunni are a clan of the [Digil](/en/society/digil/), part of the [Rahanweyn](/en/society/rahanweyn/). The name is also written Tuni. | Source | Line it gives | |---|---| | Abbink 2009 | TUNNI, as its own heading beside the Digil and Rahanwen ([Abbink, *The Total Somali Clan Genealogy*, 2009](https://hdl.handle.net/1887/14007)) | | EUAA 2025 | "Tunni are part of Rahanweyn/Digil" ([EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.4.3](https://coi.euaa.europa.eu/administration/easo/PLib/2025_05_EUAA_COI_Report_Somalia_Country_Focus.pdf)) | | ACCORD 2009 | "The Tunni are also part of Digil" ([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)) | | World Bank 2005 | Under the Digil, with the Geledi, Garre, Jiiddo, Begedi and Shanta-Alen ([World Bank, *Conflict in Somalia*, 2005, Appendix 2](https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/b2109b26-2d10-5ac6-85c2-dbfa820c5f6e)) | | ACLED 2025 | Rahanweyn > Digil > Tuni ([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/). ## Main branches Abbink lists five Tunni lines (Abbink 2009, Tunni chart): | Line | Groups named under it | |---|---| | Daffarat | Arweri, Boqolle, Reer Mudun and Geesi | | Weriille | Mudove, Gafle, Tera (Yare) and Furur | | Ajiuwa | Hura, Waaqsheyn, Mabagolle and Nijey | | Daqtira | Min-horaad, Waransille, Bedelamma and Kummurto | | Goigal | Hamar, Doile, Matangalle and Fadiido | Wikipedia names the same five: Da'farad, Dakhtira, Goygali, Hajuwa and Waridi ([Wikipedia, Tunni Sultanate, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunni_Sultanate)). The EUAA describes a third group, the Tunni Torre. It says they are "people of Bantu origin, possibly ex-slaves and/or former clients of other Tunni groups" (EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.4.3). ## 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 | |---|---| | Inland Lower Shabelle | "Some Tunni live as agriculturalists and pastoralists in the hinterland of the southern Benadir coast" (EUAA Country Focus 2025) | | Baraawe | Others "are city dwellers and live in Barawa. They are traders and/or fishermen" (EUAA Country Focus 2025) | | Lower Juba | The Tunni "occupy grazing areas south of Jamaame town to the coast and up to Baraawe" ([EASO, *Somalia: Security situation*, 2021](https://coi.euaa.europa.eu/administration/easo/PLib/2021_09_EASO_COI_Report_Somalia_Security_situation.pdf)) | | Lower Juba | The EUAA lists "the Tunni (Digil-Mirifle)" among the region's people ([EUAA 2025, Lower Juba](https://www.euaa.europa.eu/coi/somalia/2025/security-situation/21-jubbaland/213-lower-juba)) | See [Lower Shabelle](/en/regions/lower-shabelle/) and [Lower Juba](/en/regions/lower-juba/). ## History on record - **About 900s to 1200s.** Wikipedia describes a Tunni Sultanate with its centre at [Qoryooley](/en/regions/qoryooley/), and later Baraawe ([Wikipedia, Tunni Sultanate, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunni_Sultanate)). - **Same period.** It says a Tunni saint, Aw-Al, founded Baraawe. It cites Ibn Sa'id, who called Baraawe "an Islamic island on the Somali coast" (same source). See [Somali coast towns, 1331 to 1586](/en/history/somali-coast-towns-1331-1586/). - **Mid-1200s.** Wikipedia says the Ajuran took over the Tunni lands (same source). See [the Ajuran state](/en/history/ajuran-state/). - **To the early 1990s.** The EUAA says the Rahanweyn, Tunni included, "have been marginalised until the early 1990s" (EUAA Country Focus 2025). ## 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 records a Tunni treaty with the Jiiddu that split the [Shabelle](/en/economy/farming-and-harvests/) banks between them ([Wikipedia, Tunni Sultanate, backup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunni_Sultanate)). See [Jiiddu](/en/society/jiiddu/) and [xeer, Somali customary law](/en/society/xeer-customary-law/). ## In recent conflict records The EUAA's 2025 list of major clan conflicts does not name the Tunni ([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)). It says coastal Tunni "face discrimination based on clan politics" (section 1.4.3). The EUAA reports high clan tension in the Baraawe area in 2024 ([EUAA 2025, Lower Shabelle](https://www.euaa.europa.eu/coi/somalia/2025/security-situation/22-south-west/223-lower-shabelle)). See [clan conflicts, district by district](/en/society/clan-conflicts/). ## Where sources differ - **Place in the tree.** The EUAA, ACCORD, World Bank and ACLED put the Tunni in the Digil. Abbink gives them a separate heading. - **Language.** The EUAA says coastal Tunni have "cultural and linguistic ties to the [Benadiri](/en/society/minority-communities/)", and some also speak [Maay](/en/society/maay-language/). The UK Home Office notes a "Tunni subclan dialect of Af-Maymay" in Baraawe (UK Home Office 2019). ## Read more - [Digil](/en/society/digil/) - [Rahanweyn](/en/society/rahanweyn/) - [Garre](/en/society/garre/) - [Jiiddu](/en/society/jiiddu/) - [Lower Shabelle](/en/regions/lower-shabelle/) --- I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.