Sade (clan)

The Sade clan is a Somali clan that includes the Marehan and the Facaayo or "Facaye". They live in Gedo and Ogaden or Western Somalia also in the North Eastern Province (Northern Frontier District or NFD) in Kenya. The Marehan extended families are, like most Somalis, pastoral nomads and also one of the most respected clan families of the Darod tribe. Marehan in the Jubba Valley are farmers who practise "qodaal masno" (in Af Soomaali) or integrated farming, which is where livestock and produce farming are combined. This farming method is rare in many Somali farmers.

In the last sixty years or so, many Marehan populated cities in the Gedo and Galguduud regions of central Somalia have become urbanized. From early ages to late 19th century, Marehan were the respected chiefs in parts of northern and central Somalia such as the region now called Nugaal.

After the civil war erupted 1991 in the Somali capital Mogadishu, many towns and villages have seen their populations multiply in number and some cities have grown as much as 400%. The populations of Abud Waq, Bardera and Beled Hawo have increased considerably.

Somalia's third largest city Kismayo became a hub for Marehan in the last half century. Reer Xared Yarow, Cascaseey and Reer Nuur Aduunyo families are some of the most famous Marehan families in Kismaayo and they were all well-known business people.

The history of Marehan migration to the south of Somalia started back in late 1800s. By the early 1900s, the Jubba valley became Marehan's second home after the northern and central regions of Somalia. The Jubba region was briefly known as "Marehan Country" During the first twenty years of the 20th century, many Marehan families moved southward in the Horn of Africa passing through Gedo region. Reer Guri (or homestead people) of the Marehan reached the Tana River, located in what is now the NFD and were mainly cattle farmers. Late comers were known as "Galti." And they were the largest pockets of Reer Faarax Ugaas while the early comers were mostly Talxe, reer Xasan, reer Cismaan and so on. These tribes share the larger family kinship name of Sade.

The name Sade comes from the eponymous ancestor, Ahmed bin Abdirahman Al Jaberti. The Dir tribe gave that name meaning the gifted. Facaye, one of the surviving sons of Sade, didn't multiply as much as Marehan. As many Somali clans and grouped families moved southward from northern regions for settlement into areas which were suitable for grazing and fertile farming regions on the Shabelle (Shabeellaha Hoose and Shabeellaha Dhexe) and Jubba (Jubbada Hoose and Jubbada Dhexe) regions. Marehan, Facaye and pockets of Dir continued to move together. These two tribes, one being Sade and other other Dir, have been intermarrying for centuries. Kismayo, now the largest city in the Jubbada Hoose region, is synonymous with Marehan. Some estimations give a third or half of Kismayo's population to various Marehan sub clans.

Marehan of larger Sade clan are found parts of many Somali regions as well as in Ethiopia and in Kenya. While Facaye families are mostly found in Gedo region and the interior of Ogaden or Western Somalia and NFD of Kenya. A region mostly populated by Somalis for ages. Facaye families get enormous respect inside the larger Sade tribe. Surviving Facaye families live in Bardera area as well as the Gedo countryside. The most famous Facayan is Sheikh Mohamed Ali Facaye, the Director of Kismayo Regional Islamic Courts who was elected on June 8 2004.

References

* [http://www.allgedo.com/Gedo/timajilic.htm Sheekh Facaye: The New Kismayo Region Courts Director] www.Allgedo.com: New Director for Kismaayo Regional Courts June 2004
* [http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTSOMALIA/Resources/conflictinsomalia.pdf Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics ] : A report from the World Bank's site.