Family and clan
Wacbuudhan (Wa'budhan, Abgaal Hawiye)
The Wacbuudhan (Wa'budhan, Wabudhan) are one of the three main branches of the Abgaal, a Hawiye clan, with Harti and Waceysle. Their sub-clans include Mohamed Muse, Mataan Muse, Daud and Kabaale. The EUAA records Wacbuudhan groups in Middle Shabelle, around Jowhar and Adale.
Name and family tree
The Wacbuudhan are a branch of the Abgaal, a clan of the Hawiye family (EUAA Country Guidance, 2025). The name is spelled many ways: Wacbuudhan and Wacbudhan in Somali, and Wa'budhan, Wabudhan or Wa'abudan in English sources.
| Source | Line it gives |
|---|---|
| Abbink 2009 | Hawiye > Bah Girei > Gurgate > Abgal > Wa'abudan (Abbink, The Total Somali Clan Genealogy, 2009, p. 26) |
| ACLED 2025 | Hawiye > Abgal > Wabudhan (ACLED clan actor list, September 2025) |
| EUAA 2025 | "Wa'budhan/Abgaal/Hawiye" (EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.5.1) |
| Wikipedia (backup) | The middle of the three Abgaal branches: "the eldest Harti, the middle Wacbudhan and the youngest Waceysle" (Wikipedia, Abgaal, backup) |
The Abgaal in turn sit in the Hiraab and Mudulood line in some sources and directly under Gurgate in others. See Abgaal for those placements.
Main branches
Abbink lists one lineage under Wa'abudan: Da'ud (Abbink 2009, p. 26).
ACLED's 2025 list codes these groups (ACLED, September 2025):
- Wabudhan > Mataan Muse
- Wabudhan > Mohamed Muse
- Abgal > Mohamed Muse, with Dhiblabe Turyare and Suubiye Turyare
- Abgal > Daud, and Abgal > Kabaale
The EUAA names two sub-clans of the Mohamed Muse: Adan Dhiblabe Turyare and Suubiye Dhiblabe Turyare. It also names the Agoonyar Gabane and Obakar Gabane as Mohamed Muse groups (EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.5.1).
The clan tree on Wikipedia's Hawiye page gives a longer list under Wa'budhan. It names Galmaax Yonis (with Yusuf Galmaax, Maxamed Muuse, Cumar Galmaax, Celi Cumar and Reer Mataan), Xuseen Yonis and Adan Yonis. It also names Kabaale Wacbudhan (Saleeban Muse, Xeyle Muse) and Dauud (Isaaq Dauud, Yusuf Dauud and Reer Ugaas) (Wikipedia, Hawiye, backup).
Every group here is also on the Somali clan tree.
Where they live
No census counts Somalis by clan. The Austrian research centre 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 |
|---|---|
| Jowhar district, Middle Shabelle | Fighting between two Mohamed Muse sub-clans (EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.5.1) |
| Adale district, Middle Shabelle | Fighting between Mohamed Muse groups and the Abdalle Arone (same source) |
| Middle Shabelle | "The dominant clan in Middle Shabelle is the Abgal clan" (EUAA 2025, Middle Shabelle) |
| Mogadishu | Wikipedia calls Mogadishu the traditional land of the Reer Mataan (Wikipedia, Abgaal, backup). Its Hawiye tree places a Reer Mataan under Wa'budhan (Wikipedia, Hawiye, backup). |
History on record
The sources used here record the Wacbuudhan mostly through recent conflict and peace talks. The wider Abgaal history, including Mogadishu from the 1500s and the 1991 split of the United Somali Congress, is on the Abgaal page.
- July 2023. Fighting between the Abgal sub-clans Abdalle Arone and Mohamed Muse was reported in Middle Shabelle (EUAA 2025, Middle Shabelle).
- August 2024. That conflict was "reportedly resolved through a peace agreement" (same source).
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 the Abgaal ugaas comes from the Reer Ugaas and is also ugaas of the Mudulood (Wikipedia, Abgaal, backup). Its Hawiye tree places the Reer Ugaas under Dauud, in the Wa'budhan line (Wikipedia, Hawiye, backup). The August 2024 agreement above is one example of a clan dispute settled by talks. See xeer, Somali customary law.
In recent conflict records
The EUAA lists clan conflicts from April 2023 to March 2025, using ACLED data (EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.5.1). Items naming Wacbuudhan groups:
- Adan Dhiblabe Turyare against Suubiye Dhiblabe Turyare, both sub-clans of the Mohamed Muse "(Wa'budhan/Abgaal/Hawiye)", in Jowhar district.
- Mohamed Muse "(Wa'budhan/Abgaal/Hawiye)" against Abdalle Arone, near Adale district.
- Abdalle Arone against Agoonyar Gabane and Obakar Gabane (Mohamed Muse), in Adale district.
- Ili Omar and Reer Mataan, both Abgaal, in Warsheikh district.
See clan conflicts, district by district.
Where sources differ
- What sits under Wacbuudhan. Abbink lists only Da'ud. ACLED puts Mataan Muse and Mohamed Muse under Wabudhan, but also lists Mohamed Muse, Daud and Kabaale directly under the Abgal. Wikipedia's Hawiye tree gives a longer line.
- Reer Mataan. ACLED lists Reer Matan and Matan Abdulle under the Abgal, and Mataan Muse under Wabudhan. Wikipedia places a Reer Mataan under Wa'budhan.
- Spelling. The same branch appears as Wacbuudhan, Wacbudhan, Wa'budhan, Wabudhan and Wa'abudan.
Read more
- Abgaal, the clan the Wacbuudhan belong to
- Hawiye
- The Somali clan tree: every clan and sub-clan
- Middle Shabelle
Sources
- EUAA Country Guidance, 2025 · euaa.europa.eu
- Abbink, The Total Somali Clan Genealogy, 2009, p. 26 · hdl.handle.net
- ACLED clan actor list, September 2025 · acleddata.com
- EUAA Country Focus 2025, section 1.5.1 · coi.euaa.europa.eu
- Wikipedia, Abgaal, backup · en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, Hawiye, backup · en.wikipedia.org
- ACCORD, Clans in Somalia, 2009, p. 11 · ecoi.net
- EUAA 2025, Middle Shabelle · euaa.europa.eu
- UK Home Office, CPIN Somalia: clans, 2019, quoting EASO 2014 · ecoi.net
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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.