BimaalThe Bimaal or Bimal, is a sub-clan of the major Dir clan family. This clan is widely known for leading a resistance against the colonials in southern Somalia for decades which can be -in a little way- compared to the war of the Sayyid in Somaliland. The Biimaal mainly lives in southern Somalia, the Somali region of Ethiopia, which their Gaadsen sub-clan mainly inhabits and in the NEP region of Kenya. The Bimal are the dominant clan in Merca district of Lower Shabelle region and make up the majority in Jammaame district of Lower Jubba region.
Oromo InvasionsThe Oromo Invasions were a series of expansions in the 16th and 17th centuries by the Boorana starting from 48-64 kilometers east of Lake Abaya and around the Bale Mountains. Over the centuries due to many factors, mostly the wars against foreign forces and internal conflicts which preoccupied Ethiopia, would further encourage the numerous Oromo tribes to expand towards central Ethiopia. Because the Oromo did not keep a written record of the expansion, this article must refer to Ethiopian, Portuguese and Arabic sources for the reasons behind the expansion.
BursuukThe Bursuuk (Somali: Barsuug) or also written as Barsuk, Barsuq and Barsoub is a clan belonging to Madahweyne sub-clan of the Dir clan family. They largely live in Ethiopia, in the Somali Region, especially around the ancient city of Harar and between the city and Jigjiga. The Bursuuk were one of the Somali clans that fought on the left flank of Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi's army during the Ethiopian-Adal War.According to Antoine d'Abbadie, he notes that the Barentu Oromo had occupied Dakkar from the Bursuuk which they have integrated in their mythology.
AkishoThe Akisho (Somali: Akiisho, Arabic: أكيشو) is a sub-division of the Dir subclan of the clan family. As a Dir sub-clan, the Akisho have immediate lineal ties with the Issa, the Gadabuursi, the Surre (Abdalle and Qubeys), the Biimaal (who the Gaadsen also belong too), the Bajimal, the Bursuk, the Gurgura, (the Quranyow sub-clan to be precise as they claim descent from Dir), Gariire, other Dir sub-clans and they have lineal ties with the Hawiye (Irir), Hawadle, Ajuraan, Degoodi, Gaalje'el clan groups, who share the same ancestor Samaale.
Surre (clan)The Surre (Surre, سري), is a Somali clan, a sub clan of the major Somali Dir clan, The Surre inhabit in central and southern Somalia. And also can be found in Somaliland, Ethiopia and Kenya. The Surre have been associated with spreading the Islamic faith in Somalia and the Qadiriya Sufi tariiqa in central and southern Somalia. They left what is now Somaliland in approximately 1316 C.E. for central and southern Somalia.
QubeysQubeys قبيس سر در is a branch of the Surre subclan of the Somali people, which is in turn a branch of the greater Mehe Dir tribe. Qubeys is brother to Abdalle Surre Dir. Surre (Abdalle & Qubeys) Qubeys قبيس, along with Abdalle, are a subclan of the Surre (clan). Surre Mehe is a member of the Royal Dir tribe. The Word Qubeys is an ancient Somali word which was once common amongst the traditional Somali population. The word itself means cleanliness.
Dir (clan)The Dir (Dir) is one of the largest and most prominent Somali clans in the Horn of Africa. They are also considered to be the oldest Somali stock to have inhabited the region. Its members inhabit Djibouti, Somalia, Ethiopia (Somali, Harar, Dire Dawa, Oromia and Afar regions), and northeastern Kenya (North Eastern Province). Like the great majority of Somali clans, the Dir trace their ancestry to Aqil ibn Abi Talib (580 – 670 or 683), a cousin of the prophet Muhammad (570 – 632) and an older brother of Ali ibn Abi Talib (600 – 661) and Ja'far ibn Abi Talib (590 – 629).
GadabuursiThe Gadabuursi (Somali: Gadabuursi, Arabic: جادابورسي), also known as Samaroon (Arabic: قبيلة سَمَرُون), is a northern Somali clan, a sub-division of the Dir clan family. The Gadabuursi are geographically spread out across three countries: Ethiopia, Somaliland and Djibouti. Among all of the Gadabuursi inhabited regions of the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia is the country where the majority of the clan reside. In Ethiopia, the Gadabuursi are mainly found in the Somali Region, but they also inhabit the Harar, Dire Dawa and Oromia regions.
IssasLes Issas (Reer Sheikh Ciise, عيسى) sont un clan somali du nord, une subdivision des Dir, l'une des cinq grandes « confédérations claniques » des Somalis. Ils habitent principalement dans le sud de Djibouti, au nord-est de la Somaliland et dans l'est de l'Éthiopie. Les Issas parlent somali, une langue couchitique. Les relations entre les groupes et à l'intérieur de ceux-ci sont réglementées par un droit appelé xeer. Il organise en particulier le paiement des indemnités dues pour les blessures et décès, le prix du sang (diyya).
SamaaleSamaale, also spelled Samali or Samale (Samaale) is traditionally considered to be the oldest common forefather of several major Somali clans and their respective sub-clans. His name is the source of the ethnonym Somali. As the purported ancestor of most pastoralist clans living in the northern part of Somalia, Samaale lies at the basis of the largest and most widespread Somali lineage (the second largest lineage belonging to Samaale's brother Sab, the purported progenitor of most southern, cultivating clans).
