The Leelkase or Lailkase

United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...

Letter dated 21 November 2006 from the Chairman of the Security Council Committee...
p. 20 or Lelkase (, ) (''Hussein bin Abdirahman bin Is'mail bin Ibrahim al Jaberti'') is a major subclan of the Tanade

Darod The Darod (, ) is a Somali clan. The forefather of this clan is Sheikh Abdirahman bin Isma'il al-Jabarti, more commonly known as Darod. The clan primarily settles the apex of the Horn of Africa and its peripheries, the Somali hinterlands adjacent ...

clan.

World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...

,
Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics
', pp. 56-57 The term "Leelkase" is a nickname, which translates as "farsighted, mindful, smart or intelligent”

Clan tree

In the Northeast regions of Somalia, the World Bank shows the following clan tree: * Daarood * Tanade * Maalismoge * Leelkase * Musa Ali ** Fiqi Ali *** Yusuf **** Mohamed Arab *** Osman **** Omar Osman ***** Fiqi Ismail **** Adan Osman ***** Mohamed Adan ***** Mumin Adan ****** Mohamed Mumin (Xer) ******* Reer Haji Omar ******* Reer Haji Ali ******* Reer Hassan Hussein ******* Reer Ahmed ******* Reer Farah ******* Reer Abikar ******* Reer Mansor ******* Bihni-waydaw ******* Bihni-fiqixasan ******* Bihni-bicidyahan ****** Hirsi Mumin ****** Aamin Mumin ******* Abukar Aamin ******* Cilmi Aamin ****** Hamud Mumin ******* Nor Hamud ******* Mahamud Hamud ******* Barkadle Hamud ******* Aweis Hamud ******* Shamuun Hamud ******* Mahi Hamud ****** Ali Mumin ****** Hassan Mumin ******* Reer Mohamed Hassan ********* Reer Cumar ********* Reer Nuur ********* Reer Ceerigaabo ********* Reer Qayliye **** Idiris Osman ***** Reer Xasan * Mahamud Ali Below is list of the Major Leelkase Subclans and cities / towns they reside: *The "Mansor, Aamin and Hamud" in Benadir Hamar weyne *The "Mansor, Aamin and Hamud" in Bay Buurhakaba *The "Cali Sheikh" in Middle Shabeele *The "Aw-Salaat" in Lower Shabeele *The Jaamac Hassan Muumin in Buurhakaba (Mostly in their own town called "Hassan Muumin") *The Muumin Adan largely in

Mudug Mudug () is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in north-central Somalia. The population of Mudug is 131,455 as of 2005. Overview Physiographically, Mudug is bordered to the west by Ethiopia, to the north and south by the Somali regions of Nu ...

( Goldogob,

Gaalkacyo Galkayo (, ,Dr Badal Kariye Ba Bsit Ma Mba & Phd, ''The Kaleidoscopic Lover: The Civil War in the Horn of Africa & My Itinerary for a Peaceful Lover'', (AuthorHouse: 2010), p.116. Italian: ''Gallacaio also known as Rocca Littorio'') is the third ...

), & Lower Jubba ( Kismaayo), Dudub *The "Rooble Hassan" in

Garowe Garowe (, ,Eyl, Boosaaso and

Qardho Qardho (, ), also known as Gardo, is a city in the northeastern Bari region of Somalia, a district within the autonomous state of Puntland. History Until Somalia's Independence Qardho is one of a series of ancient settlements in northern Somalia. ...

*The "Mohamed Hassan" Ree Xabbad in Dan-goronyo, Eyl,

Taleex Taleh (, ) is a historical town in Sool region of Somalia. The town served as the capital of the pre-independence Dervish movement.Laurence, p.47. The Dalyare fort and the Taleh complex built between 1909 and 1910 are among the least disfigur ...

and lower Jubba *The "Mahamed Adan" who lives in

Garoowe Garowe (, ,Eyl. *The "Fiqi Ismail" in

and

Burtinle Burtinle (), also known as ''Bur Tinle or Buurtinleh'', is a city in the Nugal region of Puntland in northeastern Somalia. Overview Burtinle is the center of the Burtinle District. It lies in between Galkayo and Garoowe, close to the border ...

*The "Maalismogge" of Eyl Nugaal and

*The "Ismail Ali" in "Qandala" *The "Suhurre" in Eyl Nugaal The Musa Ali further divides into the prominent Mumin Aden clans of the

Region and the Somali Region of Ethiopia, and Hassan Idiris Clan of the Nugaal, Sool and Bari regions and as well as the Fiqi Ismail of

region. The Mahamud Ali clans settle in the

Bari Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...

region of North Eastern Somalia; particularly in Bandar Beyla district. Hashim Ali is divided into the Malismoge clans and settle in the

region. Gambayah (Somali: Gambayax, Arabicجمبيح) is a District in the Nugal region of Puntland state of Somalia. It lies approximately 50 km Northeast of the city of Garoowe. The town is populated by the Rooble Hassan subclan of Leelkase, and other Idiris Osman clans. The city has a population of approximately 800,060. Nugaal-gibin (Somali: Nugaal gibin, Arabic: نوغال غبن) is a District in the Mudug region of

Puntland Puntland is an autonomous state that considers itself to be part of Somalia, despite not accepting the legitimacy of Somalia's current governing administration. It was formed in 1998, and was a federal member state of Somalia from its fou ...

state of

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

. It lies approximately 40 km southeast of the city of Galdogob. The town is populated by the Xirsi Muumin subclan of Leelkase, and other Mumin Adan clans. The city has a population of approximately 600,000.

Population

As of 2005, the broader

Galdogob Galdogob () is a town that is administered by the semi-autonomous Puntland State of Somalia, and serves as the capital of the Galdogob District within the Mudug region. The city technically straddles the disputed 1950s-era Provisional Administra ...

District had a total population of 40,433 residents mostly Leelkase 33,366 of inhabitants were urban and 57,067 were non-urban. Bayla has a population of around 16,700 inhabitants. The broader Bayla District has a total population of 14,376 residents. Bayla is primarily inhabited by people from the Somali ethnic group, with the

Majeerteen The Majeerteen, (, ; also spelled Majerteen, Macherten, Majertain, or Mijurtin) alternately known as Mohammed Harti, are a Somali sub-clan part of the Harti branch of the Darod, Darod clan. Traditionally, they inhabit extensive territories in ...

and Leelkase Darod well-represented. The broader

Garowe Garowe (, ,Puntland Puntland is an autonomous state that considers itself to be part of Somalia, despite not accepting the legitimacy of Somalia's current governing administration. It was formed in 1998, and was a federal member state of Somalia from its fou ...

, it is primarily inhabited by Somalis from the

Harti Harti () is a Somali clan that traces its lineage back to Saleh Abdi Harti. They are a sub-clan of the larger Darod clan. Notable sub-clans within Harti include the Majeerteen, Warsangali, Warsengeli, Dishishe, and the Dhulbahante. They predomi ...

Darod clan confederation, in particular the Majerteen and leelkase Darood clans. The Leelkase are also dominant in Garsoor, largest neighborhood of

Galkayo Galkayo (, ,Dr Badal Kariye Ba Bsit Ma Mba & Phd, ''The Kaleidoscopic Lover: The Civil War in the Horn of Africa & My Itinerary for a Peaceful Lover'', (AuthorHouse: 2010), p.116. Italian: ''Gallacaio also known as Rocca Littorio'') is the third ...

with an estimated population of 137,667 inhabitants.

History

Somalia is inhabited by five major ethnic clans and one minor ethnic clan. The five major clans are the

, Dir,

Hawiye The Hawiye (; ) are one of the principal and largest of the Somali clans, tracing their lineage back to Sheikh Ahmed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Uthman, also known as Sheikh Hawiye, the eponymous figure of the clan. They are considered the earliest do ...

Isaaq The Isaaq (, , ''Banu Ishaq'') is a major Somali clans, Somali clan. It is one of the largest Somali clan families in the Horn of Africa, with a large and densely populated traditional territory. The Isaaq people claim in a traditional legend ...

Rahanweyn The Rahanweyn (, Northern Somali, Somali: , ), also known as the Digil and Mirifle () is a major Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large territory in the densely populated fertile valleys of the Jubba ...

and the minor clan called is the Ashraaf. The major clans within Darod are

Ogaden Ogaden (pronounced and often spelled ''Ogadēn''; , ) is one of the historical names used for the modern Somali Region. It is also natively referred to as Soomaali Galbeed (). The region forms the eastern portion of Ethiopia and borders Somalia ...

Dhulbahante The Dhulbahante, (, ) are a Somali sub-clan, part of the Harti branch of the larger Darod clan. They primary reside in and around their traditional territories of Nugaal, as well as Doollo. The clan's progenitor is buried at Badweyn. The cur ...

, Jidwag, Leelkase,

Marehan The Marehan (, ) is a Somali clan, which is part of one of the largest Somali clan families, the Darod. The clan are the largest tribe in the Jubaland state and make the majority of the Gedo, Middle Juba and Lower Juba states, some major cities ...

Warsangali The Warsangali (, ), alternatively the Mohamoud Harti, are a major Somali sub clan, part of the larger Harti branch, which belongs to the Darod clan, one of the largest Somali tribe families. In the Somali language, the name Warsangali means "b ...

Awrtable The Awrtable (Somali language, Somali: ''Awrtable'', Arabic: '':ar:أورتبلي, أورتبلي''; also spelled ''Ortable'', ''Aurtable'' or ''Owrtable'') is a Somalis, Prominent Somali sub-clan from the Darod clan. Background The Awrtab ...

, Dishiishe, and Mora'ase.

is the largest clan because they operate in almost all parts of the north. Within the Dir clan is the Issa, Gadabuursi, Surre, and Biimaal. These clans make up the area known as “Greater Somalia” (

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

Djibouti Djibouti, officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to the east. The country has an area ...

). Leelkase is a sub-clan of the Tanade, one of the oldest

clans, and one of the oldest kingdoms in Somalia, according to

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

and world history, reached in 1775, after heavy fighting and the collapse of the Tanade Darood. The Leelkase sub-clan resides in

, Bander Beyla, Eyl,

Garowe Garowe (, ,Bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

, and Western Somali regions. The Leelkase community is described as a religious community, good neighbor, peace loving, and always caring for its neighbors. The Leelkase clan have received the nickname;"Darbi Darod"("The wall of Darod"), which tells about the defence, from the

clan, in the Hawiye-Darood war. It is a large clan scattered throughout all regions of Somalia such as

, Nugal,

, Sool, Lower Juba, Middle Juba, Bay and Western Somalia. It is mainly inhabited by the Karkar community: Caris, Ceel, Dhidir, Buurbuur iyo Arindheer. The Leelkase are mostly found in the Mudugh region in south-central Somalia. Although the Leelkase and the Majerteen are both from the

clan, "relations between them have not been great for a long time and they have fought each other a couple of times." Warm relations have been rare between the two groups. There are Leelkase in the

and Nugal regions. Relations between the two groups in that region may not be cordial. The Leelkase have been "fighting constantly with the

Gedo Gedo (, , , or ''Ghedu'') is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in Jubaland, southern Somalia. Its regional capital is Garbahaarreey. The region was formed during 1974 and is bordered by the Ogaden in Ethiopia, the North Eastern Province ...

region. With regard to Leelkase relations with the

, there have been Leelkase "elements" in the

since the outbreak of the conflicts in

Mogadishu Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...

. Having previously been in alliances against the

, the Leelkase relationship with the Ogadeni can be described as "tenuous at best".

Dynasty Figures

* King Mahamed "Aw Maki" 1st Darod King. * King Masadan 2nd Darod King. * King Dirir 3rd Darod King. * King Hobanle 4th Darod King. * King Adnan 5th Darod King. * King Dirir II 6th Darod King. * King Harun 7th Darod King. * King Diftire 8th Darod King. * Ugas Mohamed Ugas Ali 32th Ugas/King of Tanade Dynasty. * Ugas Ahmed Ugas Mohamed 33st Ugas/King of Tanade Dynasty.

Notable figures

* Abdirahman Hosh Jibril A.U.N Former minister of constitutional affairs. * Khadra Bashir Ali Former Minister of Education of Federal Government of Somalia * Duraan Ahmed Farah Former minister of labor, also former minister of transportation and civil aviation during President farmaajo. * Ali Abdi Giir A Somali author. *

Abdulkadir Abdi Hashi Abdulkadir Abdinur Hashi (, ) is a Somali politician. He previously served as the Minister of State for Planning and International Cooperation of Puntland, and is a Member of the Federal Parliament of Somalia. Personal life Hashi hails from G ...

Former State for Planning and International Cooperation of Puntland, Former Minister of Education of Federal Government of Somalia *

Said Sheikh Samatar Said Sheikh Samatar (, ‎; 1943 – 24 February 2015) was a Somali scholar and writer. Biography Early years Said was born in 1943 in the Ogaden in Ethiopia to Faduma and Sheikh Samatar. He came from a large family consisting of fourteen p ...

Prominent Somali scholar and writer. * Sofia Samatar Somali-American educator, poet and writer. She is an assistant professor of English at James Madison University. * A.U.N Shiikh Ahmed Haaji Abdirahman * Shiikh Ahmed Abdisamad co-founder of Al-Ictisaam. * Hassan Mohamed Faarah - Ayahle Former mayor of Goldogob

. * Sadik Warfa Former Member of Somali Federal Parliament, Former Minister of Labour & Social Affairs of Federal Government of Somalia * Zakaria Mohamed Haji-Abdi Former Member of Somali Federal Parliamentarians . * Abdikarim Sheikh Hassan Member of National Civil Service Commission, Former Member of Somali Parliament. * Abdirishiid Khalif Hashi analyst, former director of heritage institute, and former minister during farmajo tenure. * Ahmed Abdi Hashi (Taajir) Current MP of Federal Government of Somalia. Former Deputy Police Chief of Somalia. * Ali ismacil Abdi giir Politician. * Farduus Osmaan Egaal Minister of Transport & Civil Aviation (MoTCA) of the Federal Government of Somalia. * Naasir Ayaxle - Naasir Dheere Artist and comedian. * Abdihakim (Saacid) Dahir Said Former Police Chief of Federal Government of Somalia. * Abdihakiin BR Comedian and TV Presenter. * Abdullahi Mohamed Jigato Politician and current Member of Parliament

References

* * * {{Somali clans Darod Somali clans in Ethiopia