Sade (clan)

The Sade clan is a Somali clan that includes the Marehan and the Facaayo or Facaye. They live in Gedo and Ogaden or Western Somalia also in the North Eastern Province (Northern Frontier District or NFD) in Kenya. The Marehan extended families are, like most Somalis, pastoral nomads and also one of the most respected clan families of the Darod clan. Marehan in the Jubba Valley are farmers who practise qodaal masno (in Af Soomaali) or integrated farming, which combines livestock and produce farming. This farming method is rare in many Somali farmers.

In the last sixty years or so, many Marehan populated cities in the Gedo and Galguduud regions of central Somalia have become urbanized. From early ages to late 19th century, Marehan were the respected chiefs in parts of northern and central Somalia such as the region now called Nugaal.

After the civil war erupted in the Somali capital Mogadishu (1991), many towns and villages have seen their populations multiply in number and some cities have grown as much as 400%. The populations of Abud Waq, Bardera and Beled Hawo have increased considerably.

Somalia's third largest city Kismayo became a hub for Marehan in the last half century.

History

The history of Marehan migration to the south of Somalia began in the late 19th century. By the early 20th century, the Jubba valley became Marehan's second home after the northern and central regions of Somalia. The Jubba region was briefly known as "Marehan Country" During the first twenty years of the 20th century, many Marehan families moved southward in the Horn of Africa passing through Gedo region. Reer Guri (or homestead people) of the Marehan reached the Tana River, located in what is now the NFD and were mainly cattle farmers. Late comers were known as "Galti." And they were the largest pockets of Reer Faarax Ugaas while the early comers were mostly Talxe, reer Xasan, reer Cismaan and so on. These clans share the larger family kinship name of Sade.

The name Sade comes from the eponymous ancestor, Ahmed bin Abdirahman Al Jaberti. The Dir clan gave that name meaning "the gifted". Facaye, one of the surviving sons of Sade, didn't multiply as much as Marehan. As many Somali clans and grouped families moved southward from northern regions for settlement into areas which were suitable for grazing and fertile farming regions on the Shabelle (Shabeellaha Hoose and Shabeellaha Dhexe) and Jubba (Jubbada Hoose and Jubbada Dhexe) regions. Marehan, Facaye and pockets of Dir continued to move together. These two clans, one being Sade and other Dir, have been intermarrying for centuries. Kismayo, now the largest city in the Jubbada Hoose region, is synonymous with Marehan. Some estimations give a third or half of Kismayo's population to various Marehan sub clans.

Clan tree

In the south central part of Somalia the World Bank shows the following clan tree:

• Darood
  • Kablalah
    • Koobe
    • Kumade
  • Isse
  • Sade
    • Mareehan
    • Facaye
  • Ortoble
  • Leelkase (Lelkase)

Notable individuals

• Mohamed Ali Facaye, director, Kismayo Regional Islamic Courts

References

• Sheekh Facaye: The New Kismayo Region Courts Director www.Allgedo.com: New Director for Kismaayo Regional Courts June 2004
• Conflict in Somalia: Drivers and Dynamics : A report from the World Bank's site.