The Jidwaq (, ) is a major subclan, part of one of the largest Somali clans families, the Absame

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 ...

. Jidwaq are well known for their conquests in

Abyssinia Abyssinia (; also known as Abyssinie, Abissinia, Habessinien, or Al-Habash) was an ancient region in the Horn of Africa situated in the northern highlands of modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea.Sven Rubenson, The survival of Ethiopian independence, ...

during the 1500s they played a very prominent role in the

Adal Sultanate The Adal Sultanate, also known as the Adal Empire or Barr Saʿad dīn (alt. spelling ''Adel Sultanate'', ''Adal Sultanate'') (), was a medieval Sunni Muslim empire which was located in the Horn of Africa. It was founded by Sabr ad-Din III on th ...

. They are famous for bringing the largest army and were very loyal to Imam Ahmad. Jidwaq have produced notable generals such as Ahmed Girri Bin Hussein who was the right hand man of

Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi (, Harari: አሕመድ ኢብራሂም አል-ጋዚ, ; 21 July 1506 – 10 February 1543) was the Imam of the Adal Sultanate from 1527 to 1543. Commonly named Ahmed ''Gragn'' in Amharic and ''Gurey'' in Somali, ...

Overview

The Jidwaq clan primarily inhabit the

Somali Region The Somali Region (, , ), also known as Soomaali Galbeed () and officially the Somali Regional State, is a Regions of Ethiopia, regional state in eastern Ethiopia. It is the largest region of Ethiopia. The state borders the Ethiopian regions ...

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 ...

, (where they live in the

Jigjiga Jijiga (, , ''Jijiga'') is the capital city of Somali Region, Ethiopia. It became the capital of the Somali Region in 1995 after it was moved from Gode. Located in the Fafan Zone with 75 km (37 mi) west of the border with Somali ...

area), the North Eastern Province of

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. ...

and the

Jubaland Jubaland (; ; ), or the Juba Valley (), is a States and regions of Somalia, Federal Member State in southern Somalia. Its eastern border lies no more than east of the Jubba River, stretching from Dolow to the Indian Ocean, while its western si ...

region of southern

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 ...

(where they live south of

Bu'ale Bu'ale ( ) is an agricultural town in Southern 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 w ...

). The name ''Jidwaaq'' means "the path of God" in the Somali language. The Jidwaq clan are now mainly divided into three branches; ''Rooble Jidwaaq'' ( Abaskuul), ''Shahrudin Jidwaaq'' (Yabaree) and ''Barre Jidwaaq'' ( Bartire). According to the

UNHCR The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and Humanitarian protection, protect refugees, Internally displaced person, forcibly displaced communities, and Statelessness, s ...

, the Jidwaq in the

are mostly agro-pastoralists. They often engage in agriculture but also raise livestock.

History

The Jidwaq clan primarily inhabit

Fafan Zone Fafan () is a zone in Somali Region of Ethiopia. It was previously known as the Jijiga zone, so named after its largest city, Jijiga. Other towns and cities in this zone include Awbare, Derwernache, Lefe Isa, Babile, Kebri Beyah, Harshin, ...

in the

as well as

, a Federal Member State in southern

. They were among the first tribes to accept the call of jihad during the conquest of Abyssinia. They have produced notable military commanders such as Ahmed Girri Bin Hussein who was the right hand of the

Imam Imam (; , '; : , ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a prayer leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Salah, Islamic prayers, serve as community leaders, ...

, a knight serving under

who then later progressed to becoming a military commander leading the Somali units in battle. Arab Faqih notes

Then he assembled the Somali clans the tribe of Girri, the tribe of Marraihan, the tribe of Yibberi with their chieftain Ahmad Girri, the clan of the Härti, people of Mait, the tribe of Jairan, the tribe of Mazzar. the tribe of Barsub all of these were Somalis and they were ordered by the Imam to hold the left they were all under Matan

The Jidwaaq have been described in ''The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society'' as the western-most branches of the

Darod clan 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 ...

. The Bartire subclan in particular has been described as pastoralists in addition to growing coffee, as well as intermarrying with the

Emirs Emir (; ' (), also transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or ceremonial authority. The title has ...

Harar Harar (; Harari language, Harari: ሀረር / ; ; ; ), known historically by the indigenous as Harar-Gey or simply Gey (Harari: ጌይ, ݘٛىيْ, ''Gēy'', ), is a List of cities with defensive walls, walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is al ...

, giving them an amount of influence. Garad_Wiil_Waal

Garad Hirsi Farah Hirsi, better known as ''Wiil Waal'' ( ''Wiil-Waal,'' )

Garad Garad ( Harari: ገራድ, , , Oromo: ''Garaada'') is a term used to refer to a king, Sultan or regional administrator. It was used primarily by Muslims in the Horn of Africa that were associated with Islamic states, most notably the Adal Sultanat ...

Wiil Waal was a traditional Somali king who lived during the 19th century in

. He hailed from the Bartire Jidwaaq sub-clan of the major

tribe. Historical records depict Garad Hirsi Farah Hirsi as a man of strong judgment and wisdom, though he was also known for being cruel and unforgiving, earning him the nickname "''Wiil-Waal''," which translates to "''Crazy Boy''" in Somali. Different accounts of Garad Hirsi exist: some portray him as cruel, violent, and avaricious, while others describe him as a godly, prayerful individual. Despite these differing views, all agree that he led a tumultuous life.

About the Gerad Hirsi different reports were rife: some described him as cruel, violent, and avaricious; others spoke of him as a godly (man) and a prayerful person: all, however, agreed that he had sowed wild oats. In token of re-pentance, he was fond of feeding Widads, and the Shaykh Jami of Harar was a frequent guest at his kraal.

He spent much of his life engaged in raids and defending his people, notably liberating the

Somalis The Somali people (, Wadaad's writing, Wadaad: , Arabic: ) are a Cushitic peoples, Cushitic ethnic group and nation native to the Somali Peninsula. who share a common ancestry, culture and history. The Lowland East Cushitic languages, East ...

from the Galla

Oromos The Oromo people (, pron. ) are a Cushitic ethnic group native to the Oromia region of Ethiopia and parts of Northern Kenya. They speak the Oromo language (also called ''Afaan Oromoo''), which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic ...

in what is now Jigjiga and its surrounding areas. The story of Garad Wiil Waal now has been adapted into a bilingual (English and Somali) children's picture book under the "Somali Bilingual Book Project" ''Wiil Waal'': Written by Kathleen Moriarty, with illustrations by Amin Amir and translation by Jamal Adam. the book aims to teach

Somali culture The culture of Somalia is an amalgamation of traditions that were developed independently since the Proto-Somali era. The hypernym of the term ''Somali'' from a geopolitical sense is '' Horner'' and from an ethnic sense, it is '' Cushite''. O ...

, wisdom, and the importance of clever thinking.

Hawo Tako Hawo Tako (1925–1948) was a prominent Somali activist. Biography Hawo Tako, also known as Xaawo Taako or Hawa Osman, belonged to the Jidwaq Abaskuul clan which settled the Jigjiga and Middle Juba region of Somalia, as well as the Fafan Zone ...

, also known as (Xaawo Taako or Hawa Osman) was a revolutionary freedom fighter, born in Kebri Beyah in the

. Her brother was one of the founding fathers of SYL, in which his disappearance brought her to become a member. Hawo Tako participated in the 1948 riots of

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 ...

where she was killed.

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 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 ...

's Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics from 2005 and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Home Office The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...

publication, Somalia Assessment 2001. *

(Daarood bin Isma'il al-Jabarti) ** Kablalah *** Kumade **** Absame *****

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 ...

***** Bal’ad ***** Weytein ***** Jidwaaq ****** Barre Jidwaaq ( Bartire) ****** Rooble Jidwaaq ( Abaskuul) ******Shahrudin Jidwaaq (Yabaree)

Notable persons

, Abaskuul, Somali nationalist hero *Garad Hirsi Farah Hirsi (Wiil-Waal), Bartire, The 17th

of the Absame. The Jigjiga Airport (JIJ) is named after him. Many Somali folklore stories are based on his life. * Ahmed Girri Bin Hussein Al Somali, Yabarre, 16th century Adalite Leader *Sheikh Hassan Yabarre, Sultan of the Yabarre clan. Sheik Hassen Yabare Referral Hospital (JIJ) is named after him. *Hasan Muhumed (Xasan Daadhi), Bartire, Current Minister of Water Resources for the

. *Abdiwasa Abdilahi Bade, Abaskuul, Somali academic and Ethiopian Federal Government Minister. *Abdulfatah Abdullahi Hassan, Abaskuul, Former Ethiopian Federal Minister for Labour, Current Ambassador to Somalia Garaad kulmiye garaad wiilwaal

*Garad Kulmiye Mohammed Dool Wiil-Waal, The current

of the Absame, Bartire, and leader of the

Council of Elders. *Mubashir Dubbad Raage, Abaskuul, Former Minister of Finance, Current Minister for Security of the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ogaden (Clan) Darod Jijiga Somali clans in Ethiopia

Overview

History

Clan tree

Notable persons

See also

References