Rahanweyn

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Main article: Somali clan

Rahanweyn
Total population
2,000,000 (est.)[citation needed]
Regions with significant populations
Somalia
Languages
Somali
Religions
Islam (Sunni)
Related ethnic groups
Hawiye, Dir clan,other Somali clans groups.

The Rahanweyn (Somali Maay: Reewing; traditional Somali: Raxanweyn)) is a Somali clan, composed of two major sub-clans, the Digil and the Mirifle. It makes up about 20% of the population of Somalia, and is one of the five major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa.

The Digil sub-clan consists mainly of farmers and coastal people, while the Mirifle consists mainly of 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 Mahaa Tiri (i.e. Standard Somali) belong to other clans (Dir, Darod, Isaaq, and Hawiye).

The Digil and Mirifle are concentrated mainly in southern Somalia including Mogadishu and Upper Juba (Gedo, Bay, Bakool, most parts of Jubbada Dhexe) and Shabeellaha Hoose regions of Somalia). They are also found in neighbouring Ethiopia and Kenya, but not in Djibouti.

Contents 1 Rahanweyn sub-clans 1.1 Digil 1.2 Mirifle 2 Notable Rahanweyn people

[edit] Rahanweyn sub-clans

This list may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help improve this list. It may be poorly defined, unverified or indiscriminate. (April 2007)

[edit] Digil

• Garre
• Bagadi
• Geledi
• Dabarre
• Jiido
• Shantacaleemood
• Tunni
• Irroole

[edit] Mirifle

• Siyeed
  • Eelaay
  • Jiroon
  • Leysan
  • Hariin
  • Macalinweyne
  • Boqolhore (consisting the four clans of Qoomaal, Disoow, Eemid and Yalaale)
  • Heledi
  • Haroow
  • Waanjaal
  • Reer Dumaal
  • Garwaale
  • Asharaaf Sarmaan
• Sagaal
  • Hadame
  • Luwaay
  • Geelidle
  • Jilible
  • Yantaar
  • Hubeer
  • Gasaargude
  • Goobabweyn

Traditionally, the Mirifle Siyeed subdivide themselves into three major groups: Bogolhore, Boqoldhexe and Boqoldambe.

For example, the Boqolhore is has the four subclans of Qoomaal, Disoow, Eemid, and Yalaale.

Also each Mirifle subclan subdivides itself into subclans or sub-groups called gamaas. For instance, the five gamaas of the Qoomaal of the Boqolhore are: Dhisiraad, Reer Awmashube, Reer Towba, Reer Macalin, and Idimoole. Traditionally one of these five is the Gamaashore (first sub-group). In the case of the Qoomaal the Gamaashore is the sub-group called Dhisiraad.

[edit] Notable Rahanweyn people

• Sheikh Mukhtar Mohamed Hussein, former spearker of parliament, from 1965-1969 and briefly interim president.
• Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan, speaker of the interim Transitional Federal Government 2004–2007.
• Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud, leader of the Rahanweyn Resistance Army, president of Southwestern Somalia, Minister of Finance and Agriculture of the Transitional Federal Government
• Mohamed Haji Mukhtar, professor of African and Middle Eastern History at Savannah State University
• Abdi Kusow, professor of sociology and anthropology at Oakland University