Ogaden (clan)
Encyclopedia
The Ogaden is a Somali clan
, and one of the largest Darod
subclans.
plateau of Ethiopia
(Somali Region
), the North Eastern Province
of Kenya
, and the Jubaland
region of Southern Somalia
. They also inhabit Somalia's major cities such as Mogadishu
and Kismayo.
According to Human Rights Watch
, the Ogaden is the largest Darod
clan in Ethiopia's Somali Region, and may account for 40 to 50 percent of the Somali population in Ethiopia. The Ogaden clan "constitutes the backbone of the ONLF
". In particular, the ONLF operates in areas inhabited by the Reer Abdulle sub-clan of the Mohamed Zubeir.
's Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics from 2005 and the United Kingdom
's Home Office
publication, Somalia Assessment 2001.
In Puntland
the World Bank shows the following:
Somali clan
The demographics of Somalia describes the condition and overview of Somalia's inhabitants. Demographic topics include basic education, health and population statistics, as well as identified racial and religious affiliations.-Somalis:...
, and one of the largest Darod
Darod
The Darod is a Somali clan. The father of this clan is named Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, but is more commonly known as Darod. In the Somali language, the word Daarood means "an enclosed compound," a conflation of the two words daar and ood .The Darod population in Somalia lives principally...
subclans.
Overview
Members of the Ogaden clan primarily live in the central OgadenOgaden
Ogaden is the name of a territory comprising the southeastern portion of the Somali Regional State in Ethiopia. The inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Somali and Muslim. The title "Somali Galbeed", which means "Western Somalia," is often preferred by Somali irredentists.The region, which is...
plateau of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
(Somali Region
Somali Region
Somali Region ; is the eastern-most of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia. It is often called Somalia, though it is not to be confused with the independent country of the same name. The capital of Somali State is Jijiga...
), the North Eastern Province
North Eastern Province (Kenya)
North Eastern Province is the third largest province in Kenya and has thirteen constituencies represented in the Kenya National Assembly.The region is home to a rare type of antelope called the Hirola, which is classified as an endangered species. The NFD's pastoralists also possess livestock in...
of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, and the Jubaland
Jubaland
Jubaland , also known as Azania or the Juba Valley and formerly as Trans-Juba , is an autonomous region in southern Somalia. Its eastern border lies 40–60 km east of the Jubba River, stretching from Gedo to the Indian Ocean, while its western side flanks the North Eastern Province in...
region of Southern Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
. They also inhabit Somalia's major cities such as Mogadishu
Mogadishu
Mogadishu , popularly known as Xamar, is the largest city in Somalia and the nation's capital. Located in the coastal Benadir region on the Indian Ocean, the city has served as an important port for centuries....
and Kismayo.
According to Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
, the Ogaden is the largest Darod
Darod
The Darod is a Somali clan. The father of this clan is named Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, but is more commonly known as Darod. In the Somali language, the word Daarood means "an enclosed compound," a conflation of the two words daar and ood .The Darod population in Somalia lives principally...
clan in Ethiopia's Somali Region, and may account for 40 to 50 percent of the Somali population in Ethiopia. The Ogaden clan "constitutes the backbone of the ONLF
Ogaden National Liberation Front
The Ogaden National Liberation Front , is a separatist rebel group fighting to make the region of Ogaden in eastern Ethiopia an independent state...
". In particular, the ONLF operates in areas inhabited by the Reer Abdulle sub-clan of the Mohamed Zubeir.
Clan tree
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 BankWorld Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
's Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics from 2005 and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
publication, Somalia Assessment 2001.
- DarodDarodThe Darod is a Somali clan. The father of this clan is named Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, but is more commonly known as Darod. In the Somali language, the word Daarood means "an enclosed compound," a conflation of the two words daar and ood .The Darod population in Somalia lives principally...
(Daarood)- MarehanMarehanThe Marehan are a Somali clan. They are one of the major Darod sub-clans, forming a part of the Sade confederation of clans. The majority of the Marehan live in the Jubbada Hoose, Gedo and Jubbada Dhexe regions in southwestern Somalia, as well as the Galguduud and Mudug regions in central...
- Red Dini
- Rer Hassan
- Eli Dheere
- Kabalah
- Absame
- Ogaden
- Makabul
- Mohamed Zubeir
- AulihanAulihanThe Aulihan are a Somali clan, a division of the larger Ogaden clan, living on both sides of the Kenya - Somalia border.The Aulihan migrated from the Ogaden region of Western Ethiopia in response to pressure from the expanding Ethiopian empire and had taken control of the hinterland of the lower...
- Jidwaq
- Ogaden
- Harti
- DhulbahanteDhulbahanteThe Dhulbahante is a Somali clan, and a part of the larger Harti Darod clan. Members of the clan primarily inhabit the Sool, Nugaal, Sanaag and Ayn regions, the Haud, the port city of Kismayo, as well as other areas in the Jubbada Hoose region of southern Somalia.-Tradition:Currently, there are...
(Dolbahante) - WarsangaliWarsangaliThe Warsangeli , is a Somali clan, part of the Harti confederation of Darod sub-clans...
(Warsengeli) - MajeerteenMajeerteenThe Majeerteen is a Somali clan. Its members form a part of the Harti confederation of Darod sub-clans, and primarily inhabit the Puntland region in northeastern Somalia....
(Mijerteen)- Omar Mahmud
- Issa Mahmud
- Osman Mahmoud (Osman Mahmud)
- Dhulbahante
- Absame
- Marehan
In Puntland
Puntland
Puntland , officially the Puntland State of Somalia , is a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998....
the World Bank shows the following:
- Darod
-
- Harti
- Ogaden
- Marehan
- Awrtable
- Lelkase
-
Notable persons
- Asli Hassan AbadeAsli Hassan AbadeAsli Hassan Abade was the first and so far only female pilot in the Somali Air Force . A prominent member of the SAF, she paved the way for gender equality within the military ranks.-Peace campaign:...
, first Somali female pilot - Farah MaalimFarah MaalimFarah Maalim Mohamed is a renowned ethnic Somali politician with almost two decades of experience on the Kenyan political scene. He is the current Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya.-Biography:...
, current Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of KenyaSpeaker of the National Assembly of KenyaThe Speaker is the presiding officer of the Kenyan Parliament .-Qualifications:The speaker is elected by the assembly from among persons or are qualified to be members of the assembly... - Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-TurkiHassan Abdullah Hersi al-TurkiSheikh Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki , also known as Hassan Al-Turki, or "Al-Turki"–"The Turk", is a Somali Islamist and military leader in the Islamic Courts Union and previously Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya.-Biography:...
, Islamist leader in Somalia and military leader in the Islamic Courts Union - Mohamed Abdi Mohamed ("Gandhi"), Minister of Defense of Somalia; prominent anthropologist and activist
- Mohammed Abdullah HassanMohammed Abdullah HassanSayyīd Muhammad `Abd Allāh al-Hasan was a Somali religious and patriotic leader...
, the SayyidSayyidSayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
; religious and nationalist leader of the Dervish StateDervish StateThe Dervish state was an early 20th century Somali Sunni Muslim state that was established by Muhammad Abdullah Hassan, a religious leader who gathered Somali soldiers from across the Horn of Africa and united them into a loyal army known as the Dervishes...
; called the Mad Mullah by the British - Admiral Mohammed Omar OsmanMohammed Omar OsmanAdmiral Mohamed Omar Osman is the chairman of the Ogaden National Liberation Front . He was born in Ethiopia, but attended secondary school in Mogadishu...
, ONLF chairman - Mohamed Yusuf Haji, Minister of State for Defence in KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
- Nuruddin FarahNuruddin FarahNuruddin Farah is a prominent Somali novelist.-Early years:Born in Baidoa, Somalia, Farah is the son of a merchant father and a poet mother. As a child, he attended school at Kallafo in the Ogaden, and studied English, Arabic, and Amharic. In 1963, three years after Somalia's independence, Farah...
, renowned writer and winner of the 1998 Neustadt International Prize for LiteratureNeustadt International Prize for LiteratureThe Neustadt International Prize for Literature is a biennial award for literature sponsored by the University of Oklahoma and its international literary publication, World Literature Today. It is widely considered to be the most prestigious international literary prize after the Nobel Prize in... - Ugaas Abdulrahman Muhumad Qani, former President of the Somali RegionSomali RegionSomali Region ; is the eastern-most of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia. It is often called Somalia, though it is not to be confused with the independent country of the same name. The capital of Somali State is Jijiga...
in Ethiopia - Guled CasoweGuled Casowe-Youth:Guled Casowe, who belonged to the Ogaden sub-clan of the Darod clan family, was born in 1978 in the valley of Jijiga. His birth date marked with the defeat of the Somali army in the Ethio-Somali war. Guled and his family fled to Somalia and resided in Mogadisho Guled thus grew up in...
, former Information, Culture and Tourism Minister of Somali State in Ethiopia