Duduble

The Duduble are a subclan of Hiraab and born to an Ajuran mother. The Clan was historically ruled by the chief Caaqil Siyaad Qaasim known as Caaqil Dheryodhoobe under 250 years ago or 8 generations ago (early 1700s till early 1800s) in the Nugaal area before famous wars and droughts compelled some to move south to Central Somalia and elsewhere.[8]

According to Italian colonial accounts, the Duduble largely lived north west of Mogadishu and between the city and Merca to the south.[9]

In 1921, an Isaaq leader named Haji Muse Igarre,[10] reportedly gave the Ugaas of Duduble (along with other clans) approximately 10,000 rifles near Hobyo to fight Sultan Ali Yusuf Kenadid of the Sultanate of Hobyo.[11] Former Governor of Ceel Buur District, Hussein A. Duale "Awil" recounted the story that was told to him years later by Duduble Sultan Farah Foodey:

We were not without fear and concern about the fight against Kenadid. He had a large army and gave us a lot of trouble. Ina Igarre promised the chiefs and elders of Hawiye that if Kenadids army was stronger, they would help with their army. That promise encouraged us a lot, it took away our fear and anxiety...The war lasted for ten days. On the tenth day, the King and his army surrendered. We took the King and his family into their hands.[11]

Following the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991, the Duduble would primarily operate under the United Somali Congress (USC) and the later Somali National Alliance (SNA) factions.[12] The clan would run the SNA's militia wing the SLA in Baidoa.[13]

The Duduble would participate in the 11 July 1993, meeting of different sub clans within the SNA that was attempting to end the escalating war between the SNA and UNOSOM. Clans present at the meeting, including the Duduble, agreed to enter a political dialogue with UNOSOM II to end the conflict. The agreement would collapse following the deadly Bloody Monday raid that was carried out by U.S. forces on behalf of UNOSOM the next day.[14]

On 12 September 1995 clashes between the Duduble and Ayr clan broke out in Mogadishu. According to witnesses the two sides traded heavy machine gunfire, antiaircraft missiles, and RPG-7 fire for about 90 minutes before clan elders intervened to halt the conflict.[15] In July 2001, the Duduble, Ayr, Murusade and sub clans within the Marehan formed the Jubba Valley Alliance (JVA) in order to control the fertile regions surrounding the Jubba river.[16]

Following the model of Sharia courts rising in Mogadishu in order to curb lawlessness, the Duduble would operate multiple Islamic Courts in the city during the 1990s. The first operated under the title of the "Milk Factory Court" (Somali: Maxkamad Warshahada Canno).[17][18] The court had begun to form in 1992 but was unable to function until 1997 following Mohamed Farah Aidids death in 1996, due to his opposition to sharia courts.[19][20] Ahmed Nuur Ali Jima’ale, CEO of Al-Barakat and a member of the Duduble, took the initiative along with other colleagues in creating the court. The institution brought together different religious groups, ranging from Salafis to religious leaders associated with Sufi orders.[19][21][22] According to a Sheikh in the clan, the court would carry out capital punishments for murder but gave victim’s family a choice of whether to accept Diya or blood money (retaliatory compensation in Islamic law) and spare the life of the accused. If this was rejected an execution would be carried out.[23]

By early 2001, the Duduble run Sharia courts had carried out a total of five executions.[23] When the Mogadishu sharia courts merged in 2000 and the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) formed, the Duduble would represent a core component of the organization. In 2006, members of the sub-clan controlled the finances of Mogadishu's seaport and international airport on behalf of the ICU.[24] By 2005, a court ran by the clan known as "Dabaqayn" was one of the eleven sharia courts running in Mogadishu.[25] Despite many of the initial sharia courts being clan based, in 2006 Duduble ICU militia would reportedly decline certain appeals from Duduble elders, instead pointing to Islamic Courts Unions Supreme Council as the true authority.[22]

While some members of the sub clan worked for the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG), overwhelmingly sympathies lay with Al-Shabaab as the TFG was widely viewed as an Ethiopian puppet and Al-Shabaab the only organized resistance to Ethiopian occupation.[26][27] The Duduble and other Hawiye sub clans such as the Ayr and Murusade would represent the core of the resistance to the Ethiopian occupation of Mogadishu in 2007.[28]

In the years following the fall of the Islamic Courts Union, the Duduble would find itself at odds with the TFG, driven in large part by random detentions and summary executions of clan members and elders by TFG forces.[29][30] Abdullahi Isse Abtidon, a Duduble TFG member of parliament and a prominent religious leader who served with the ICU, would be assassinated on 15 April 2009, by suspected Al-Shabaab assassins. Abitdon had been using his influence to reach out to hardline islamists and the assassination was consequently considered a serious blow to reconciliation efforts between Islamist organizations and the TFG.[31][32]

Following the end of the Ethiopian occupation of Somalia in January 2009,[33] the clan held a major meeting in Mogadishu. After deliberations, elders and youth participating in the conference came to the consensus to continue supporting the insurgency against AMISOM forces.[34] On 20 January 2009 the Duduble would put out a statement on its position:

We thank God for the withdrawal of our enemy, the Ethiopian forces, from Banaadir [Mogadishu and its environs]. We have in the past called for the adoption of shari'ah law and we will stick with this. We will also continue with the jihad against the non-believing troops from Ethiopia if they remain in the country. We urge the Somali people to embrace shari'ah law, which is the solution for our religion, people and country. We also call on the Muslims to unite in the name of the Holy Koran and be wary of conspiracies by the enemy. God bless you.[34]

Following the withdrawal of most Ethiopian forces, Ahmed Nur Ali Jumale would control Bakara Market and its surrounding regions with a Duduble based militia.[35]

In December 2011, Duduble clan elders in El Buur would formally sign an agreement with Al-Shabaab to fight Ethiopian, Kenyan, TFG and AMISOM forces in Somalia.[36] A Sheikh Sheikh Awale Mohamed Ali of the clan would state, "I advised all Somali tribes to support Al-Shabaab in defending our religion and our country. We have promised to fight both Ethiopian and Kenyan troops who entered our country" [36] In June 2014, members of the clan (reportedly many of whom were civilians) would fight alongside Al-Shabaab against Ethiopian forces that had been deployed to El Buur following its capture by AMISOM forces in March of that year.[37][38]

Despite historically supporting Al-Shabaab against foreign forces and the former Transitional Federal Government, the Duduble is now involved in the fight against the organization.[39][40]