The Dir, official name: Abukar (Somali: Dir , Dirweyn , Direed or Beesha Direed, Arabic: در , قبيلة در , بنو در , قبيلة أبوكار , بنو أبوكار , ), is a major and one of the noble Somali clan families. They are geographically spread across 4 countries or Shanta Soomaaliyeed , the 5 Somali regions that make up Greater Somalia: Djibouti(former: French Somaliland(1)), Somalia(former: British Somaliland(2) and Italian Somaliland(3)), Kenya, The North Eastern Province(4) and the Ethiopia, the Somali region, but also in the Oromia and Afar regions(5).
The Dir clan is famously known for leading a revolt against the Italians. This revolt was mainly led by the Biimaal section of the Dir. The Biimaal clan is widely known for leading a resistance against the colonials in southern Somalia.The Biimaal violently resisted the imposition of colonialism and fought against the Italian colonialists of Italian Somaliland in a twenty-year war known as the Biimaal revolt in which many of their warriors assassinated several Italian governors. This revolt can be compared to the war of the Mad Mullah in northern Somalia. The Biimaal mainly lives in Southern Somalia, the Somali region of Ethiopia, which their Gaadsen sub-clan mainly inhabits and in the NEP region of Kenya. The Biimaal are pastoralists. They were also successful merchants and traders in the 19th century. In the 19th century they have engaged in multiple wars with the Geledi clan, which they were victorious in.
The chartered city of Dire Dawa or in Somali known as Dire Dhabe is named after the ancestor Dir. According to the "Futuh Al Habasha: Conquest of Abyssinia", the area or settlement was only called Dir around 5 centuries ago.
I.M. Lewis and many sources maintain that the Dir together with the Hawiye trace ancestry through Irir son of Samaale to Banu Hashim Arabian origins with Aqeel Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib. Dir is regarded as the father-in-law of Darod, the progenitor of the Darod clan Although some sources state it was the daughter of Hawiye who Darod married.
Recorded tradition have it that the Dir were one of the original and one of earliest participants in the history of Mogadishu. Of the Dir to participate in the history, Madigan is recorded.
Dir or Abukar had four sons named:
Haytham bin Abukar -Madahweyne DirSalah bin Abukar - Mandaluug DirNuur bin Abukar - Madoobe DirKhalid bin Abukar - Meha DirAccording to others, Dir had a fifth son, Qaldho Dir.
The main sub-clans of the Dir today are the
Issa "Essa"Gadabuursi "Gadabursi"Biimaal "Bimal"Surre Quranyow of the Garre "Gorajno"Gurgura "Gurgure"Garrire "Gerire" Gurre "Goora"Bajimal "Bajumal"Barsuug "Bursuk"Isaaq, although this clan claims paternal descent from one Ishaq ibn AhmedPolitical groups associated with the Dir clans include the following groups in Somalia, Djibouti and Ethiopia:
Front for the Liberation of DjiboutiDemocratic Union IssaGurgura Liberation Front led by Abdelasis AhmedWestern Somali Liberation Front, led by Abdi Ismail and representing the Gadabursi.United Somali Front, USF , representing the Issa in Somalia.Horyal Democratic Front , Horyal, representing the Gadabursi in EthiopiaIssa and Gurgura Liberation Front of Ethiopia.Somali Democratic Alliance, SDA, representing the Gadabursi in Somalia.Southern Somali National Movement of the mostly Mohamed Xiniftire Dir Clans (Surre, Biamal) of Jubba, Gedo, Bardheere, and Shabeellaha Hoose region.Democratic Liberation Front supported Central Somalia Dir groups.Alliance Ahlusunna Wal-jam'a in central Somalia (Surre)The following list is based on Nuova Antologia (1890), I.M. Lewis's book People of the Horn of Africa, and a paper published in March 2002 by Ambroso Guido: Clanship, Conflict and Refugees: An Introduction to Somalis in the Horn of Africa.
SamaaleIrirDirMadobe MurdadleIssaEleye(Mamasan)WalaldonHoroneFurlabeUrweynWardeyMadalugGadabuursi/SamaroonHabar MakadorMakahilGibril YūnusAdan YūnusNur Yūnus (Rer Nur)Mahad 'AsseHabar 'AffanMadahweinGurguraGurreGariireBursukMahadQuranyowSurreQuranyow (Garre)IsaaqHabar AwalSa'ad MuseIsa MuseHabar JecloIdagaleHabar Yonis)BiimaalGaadsenBajimalMahmoud Harbi, Vice-President of the Government Council of French Somaliland.Hassan Gouled Aptidon 1916-2006, first President of Djibouti from 1977 to 1999.Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti as of 1999Abdo Xamar Qoodh, musicianDaher Ahmed Farah, Djiboutian politicianAbdourahman Waberi, novelistNima Djama, musicianAhmed Boulaleh Barreh, Djiboutian politicianMumin Gala, Djiboutian athleteOmar Farah Iltireh, Djiboutian politicianAden Robleh Awaleh, president of the National Democratic Party.Mohamed Ali Fourchette, musicianRoble Olhaye, permanent representative to the United Nations for the Republic of Djibouti.Yacin Elmi Bouh, Djiboutian politician.Hussein Ahmed Salah, Djiboutian marathon runner.Moumin Bahdon Farah, Djiboutian politician.Sheikh Abdi Abikar "Gaafle", famous religious leader and warriorAbdirahman Aw Ali Farah, First Somaliland Vice President between 1993-1997.Mawlid Hayir, current Vice-president and minister of education and former governor of Jigjiga zone of the Somali region of Ethiopia.Hibo Nura, a Somali singerHaji Ibrahim Nur, minister, merchant and politician of former British Somaliland ProtectorateAbdi Hassan Buni, politician, minister of British Somaliland and first deputy prime minister of the Somali Republic.Abdi Ismail Samatar, Somali scholar, writer and professor.Ahmed Ismail Samatar, Somali writer, professor and former dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship at Macalester College. Editor of Bildhaan: An International Journal of Somali StudiesAbdirahman Duale Beyle, former Foreign Affairs Minister of Somalia an economistAbdisalam Omer, Foreign Affairs Minister of Somalia; former Governor of the Central Bank of SomaliaSheikh 'Abdurahman Sh. Nur, religious leader, qādi and the inventor of the Borama script.Dahir Rayale Kahin, third President of SomalilandAhmed Gerri of the Habar Maqdi(Makadi)/Makadur of the Conquest of Abyssinia Sultan Mahomed Haji Dideh, sultan of Zeila,prosperous merchant and built first mosque in Djibouti. He also proposed the name "Cote francaise des Somalis" to the FrenchYussur A.F. Abrar, former governor of the Central Bank of Somalia.Ughaz Nur II, 11th Malak(King) of the Gadabursi.Ughaz 'Elmi Warfa, 13th Malak(King) of the Gadabursi.Shemsedin Ahmed Roble, previous Ethiopian ambassador to Kenya and vice-ministerAyanle Souleiman, Djiboutian athleteHassan Mead, American distance runnerAbdirahman Sayli'i, current Vice-president of SomalilandAbdi Sinimo, a Somali singer and songwriter,noted for having established the balwo genre of Somali music.Hassan Sheikh Mumin, author of Shabeel Naagood or (Leopard among the Women)Khadija Qalanjo, a popular Somali singerSuleiman Ahmed Guleid - President of Amoud UniversityOmar Osman Rabeh, Somali scholar, writer, professor, politician and pan-Somalist.Barkhad Awale Adan, Somali journalist and director of Radio HurmaMohamed Omar Dubad, Somali politician, served as member of Somalia parliament and Charge D'Affaires in the United NationsAbdullahi Sheikh Ismail,former Somali Ambassador to Russian federation and former foreign ministerAhmed Hassan Gabobe, Minister of Justice and Religious Affairs of Somalia.Abdirahman Haji Aden Ibbi, former Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, Minister of Information and is serving as Member of the Federal Parliament of Somalia.Colonel Abdi Warsame Isaq, chairman of the Southern Somali National Movement.Bughyaat al-amaal fii taariikh as-Soomaal, published in Mogadishu, Shariif 'Aydaruus Shariif 'Ali