From: jameskerlindsay
Despite sharing a joint language, religion, and culture, the Somali people, who are spread across the Horn of Africa, are divided by a highly complex clan system [01:54:02]. This system is a central factor in understanding the region’s dynamics, including recent conflicts in Somaliland.
Structure of the Clan System
The Somali clan system is centered on five main groups [02:03:00]. Within these main clans, there are also many sub-clans and even sub-clans of sub-clans [02:32:04].
Key Clans and Their Locations
- Darod The largest clan group, forming an arc from Kenya in the south, through Ethiopia, Somaliland, and up to the northern Somali region of Puntland [02:06:04].
- Harti Clan A sub-clan of the Darod, includes the Majeerteen, Dhulbahante, and Wasangeli [02:39:04]. These are the largest groups in northern Somalia and eastern Somaliland [02:45:04]. The Majeerteen largely inhabit Puntland [06:18:03].
- Hawiye Located in eastern Somalia, northern Kenya, and southern Ethiopia [02:17:03].
- Rahanweyn Found in central Somalia [02:22:04].
- Dir Predominant in northern Somaliland and Djibouti [02:22:04].
- Isaaq Constitute the majority in Somaliland [02:28:04].
Clan System and Conflicts
Clan tensions have been a persistent issue in the region.
Historical Context
When the British Somaliland Protectorate and the Italian-administered trust territory of Somaliland merged in 1960 to form the Somali Republic, broader clan tensions quickly emerged [03:57:04]. In 1961, Somaliland was downgraded, feeding Isaaq discontent [04:05:05].
General Mohamed Siad Barre, who took power in a military coup in 1969, attempted to break the power of the clans [04:23:05]. Opposition to his regime grew, especially in the Isaaq-dominated north, which faced brutal government reprisals [05:10:06].
Recent Tensions and Claims
The clan system helps explain current tensions, particularly in the eastern provinces of Somaliland [02:53:03].
- Puntland’s Claims In 1998, Puntland, largely inhabited by the Majeerteen (a Harti-Darod clan), rejected secession from Somalia but called for autonomy within it [06:11:02]. Puntland claimed authority over all areas inhabited by wider Harti-Darod clan members, including significant parts of Somaliland’s three eastern provinces (Sool, most of Sanaag, and the south of Toghder, known as Cayn) [06:30:04].
- Local Opposition in Sool When the president of Somaliland, a Dir clan member, visited Las Anod in December 2002, it sparked anger among the local Dulbahante inhabitants [07:11:04]. Many in Sool later rejected renewed Somaliland control and also Puntland, forming the Khatumo State of Somalia in 2012, which sought self-rule within a federal Somalia [07:45:03]. Parts of the local Sool leadership rejected a peace deal with Somaliland and appealed to Puntland for support [08:26:05].
- Risk of Wider Conflict The ongoing fighting around Las Anod risks igniting a wider clan confrontation across the Horn of Africa [10:49:09].
Complexity of Secession
The situation highlights that secessionist conflicts can be far more complex than just one ethno-national or religious group fighting another [12:34:02]. Sometimes, communities otherwise united by a single language, culture, and religion can still wish to be apart [12:39:07]. This complexity is evident in the dispute over Somaliland’s status, where clans within its claimed borders assert their own desires for autonomy or reunification with Somalia [11:31:02].