SUMMARY
Unlike other multiethnic countries in the Sub-Saharan African context, the Somali society is characterized by a vast system of clans. Most of the population belongs to one of the five overarching clan families namely the Darod, the Isaaq, the Hawiye, the Dir, and the Rahanweyn (also known as Rewin or Digil-Mirifle). Each clan family is further divided into sub-clans and in some cases into sub-sub-clans. The origins of the clans are shared and each clan is related to the others, yet there are differences in terms of culture, tradition, and the form of life.
Up until independence in 1960, the Somali society was organized according to the clan system and each clan had a leader and a council of elders. These leaders played a major role in daily life and especially in intertribal relations. The council of elders was responsible for maintaining peace and harmony amongst the Somali people. Weakened clans were, for example, to be protected and were at times integrated into stronger clans in order to assure its survival. When inter-clan conflicts did occur, rules of conduct were agreed upon; such as caring for the injured or the treatment of prisoners.
During the post-independence era, traditional structures were replaced by modern governmental and judicial institutions hence removing the power once given to the clan leader and the council of the elders. As a result, relations between clans continuously deteriorated, which in turn also resulted in a stronger sense of affiliation to one’s own clan. This process contributed to, and was further strengthened by, the outbreak of the intra-state conflict in Somalia which began at the end of 1982. Clan-related conflicts continued to fuel non-state conflicts in Somalia.
The non-state conflict between Duduble subclan of Gorgarte clan (Hawiye) and Suleiman subclan of Habar Gidir clan (Hawiye) was confined to one two-day clash in March 2004. The details of the fighting are sketchy, at best; witnesses gave imprecise accounts of what caused the death of nearly fifty people over two days. A village elder testified to heavy weaponry being deployed in the clashes, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, mortars, and pick-up trucks with anti-aircraft guns mounted to them. The reported casualties were supposedly made up of mostly clan fighters. The underlying incompatibility between the two groups is believed to have been access to grazing land for cattle, a resource that is frequently fought over in the central regions of Somalia.
The non-state conflict between Duduble subclan of Gorgarte clan (Hawiye) and Suleiman subclan of Habar Gidir clan (Hawiye) is first included in UCDP data in 2004. In March of that year a two-day clash resulted in over 40 battle-related deaths.
