Rahanweyn

Main article: Somali clan

Rahanweyn
الرَحَنْوَيْن

Regions with significant populations
Somalia  Ethiopia  Kenya
Languages
Somali , Af-Maay
Religion
Islam (Sunni, Sufism)
Related ethnic groups
Hawiye, Dir clan,other Somali clans

The Rahanweyn (Somali Maay: Reewing; traditional Somali: Raxanweyn, Arabic: رحنوين‎) is a Somali clan, composed of two major sub-clans, the Digil and the Mirifle.^[1] It makes up about 17% of the population of Somalia^[2], and is one of the five major Somali clans residing in the Horn of Africa.

Overview

The Digil sub-clan mainly consists of farmers and coastal people, while the Mirifle are predominantly nomadic pastoralists.

According to the Rahanweyn, Somalis are linguistically grouped into Mai Terreh and Maxaa Tiri. The speakers of Mai Terreh (also known as Mai-Mai or Af-Maay) are the Rahanweyn, while the speakers of Maxaa Tiri (i.e. Standard Somali) belong to other clans (Darod, Dir, Hawiye and Isaaq).

The Digil and Mirifle are mainly concentrated in southern Somalia, including Mogadishu, Upper Juba (Gedo, Bay, Bakool, most parts of Jubbada Dhexe) and Shabeellaha Hoose. They are also found in the Somali Region of Ethiopia and the North Eastern Province of Kenya.

Clan tree

Rahanweyn's location in in red

There is no clear agreement on the clan and sub-clan structures and many lineages are omitted. The following listing is taken from the World Bank's Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics from 2005 and the United Kingdom's Home Office publication, Somalia Assessment 2001.^[3][4]

• Rahanweyn
  • Digil
    • Dabarre
    • Jiddu
    • Garre
    • Tunni
    • Geledi
  • Mirifle
    • Sagaal
      • Jilible
      • Hadame
    • Sideed
      • Harin
      • Eelay
      • Jiron
      • Leyasn

In the south central part of Somalia the World Bank shows the following clan tree:^[5]

• Rahanwayin
  • Digil
    • Geledi
    • Tunni
    • Garre
    • Jiddo
    • Shanta-Alen

Christian Bader lists the principal Digil and Rahanweyn subclans as follows:^[6]

• Sab
  • Amarre
    • Daysame
      • Digil
        • Maad
          • Rahanweyn
            • Jambaluul
            • Midhifle
            • Aleemo
          • Maatay
            • Irroole
            • Dabarre
          • 'Ali Jiiddu
          • Dubdheere
            • Waraasiile
            • Tikeme
          • Duubo
          • Digiine
          • Iise Tunni

Notable Rahanweyn people

• Abdallah Isaaq Deerow, late Minister of Constitutional Affairs of the Transitional Republic Government
• Abdi Kusow, professor of sociology and anthropology at Oakland University
• Adan Mohamed Nuur Madobe, current Speaker of the Parliament of the Transitional Federal Government, and former interim President of Somalia
• Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud, former chairman of the Rahanweyn Resistance Army,member of the Parliament, former president of Southwestern Somalia .
• Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, speaker of the parliament of Transitional Federal government 2004–2007.
• Mohamed Haji Mukhtar, professor of African and Middle Eastern History at Savannah State University.
• Mohamed Ibrahim, late minister of TNG government
• Muhammad Ibrahim Habsade, is former rebel soldier and current Agriculture minister in the Somali Transitional Federal Government.
• Sheikh Mukhtar Mohamed Hussein,speaker of parliament, from 1965-1969 and briefly President of Somalia
• Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Mansur, leader and former spokesman for Al Shabaab
• Mustafa Mohamed Moalim (Mustafa Maxamed Macalin), first Somali fighter pilot, Chief of Somali Air Force School and Chief of Somali Air Force Operations.

Notes

1. ^ HAAN Associates, p.260
2. ^ CIA (2002). Somalia ethnic groups (Map) (Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection ed.). http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/africa/somalia_ethnic_grps_2002.jpg. 
3. ^ Worldbank, Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics, January 2005, Appendix 2, Lineage Charts, p.55 Figure A-1
4. ^ Country Information and Policy Unit, Home Office, Great Britain, Somalia Assessment 2001, Annex B: Somali Clan Structure, p. 43
5. ^ Worldbank, Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics, January 2005, Appendix 2, Lineage Charts, p.56 Figure A-2
6. ^ Bader, Christian (1999). "Genealogies Somali" (in French). Le sang et le lait: brève histoire des clans somali [Blood and milk: A brief history of the Somali clans]. Paris: 9782706813733. p. 246. ISBN 2706813733. http://books.google.com/books?id=pLFETPhIrcMC&pg=PA241&lpg=PA241. Retrieved 2010-03-09. 

References

• Rebuilding Somalia: issues and possibilities for Puntland. HAAN Associates. 2001. ISBN 1874209049. http://books.google.ca/books?id=BHzaAAAAMAAJ.