Somalia: Update to SOM23328.E of 18 March 1994 on the Leelkase subclan of Darod clan, including their traditional homelands
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 March 1997 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SOM26297.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Somalia: Update to SOM23328.E of 18 March 1994 on the Leelkase subclan of Darod clan, including their traditional homelands, 1 March 1997, SOM26297.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ace360.html [accessed 12 November 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
A historian and Somalia specialist at Savannah State College in Savannah, Georgia, stated that the Leelkase are a small subclan of the Darod and live in the northeast region of Bari, although some Leelkase can also be found in northern Ethiopia, on the border with Somalia (11 Mar. 1997). He explained that the Leelkase are more religiously inclined than the Darod (ibid.). He stated that, in general, the Darod were one of the dominant clan authorities in the Siad Barre regime (ibid.). He stated that the Leelkase are politically insignificant in present-day Somalia, but, because of their affiliation to the Darod, they suffer from "collective victimization" and "collective guilt" (ibid.).
A Somalia specialist at the U.S. Institute for Peace in Washington, DC, corroborated the above information, and provided additional but contradictory information. He explained that the major Leelkase homeland is Region Five in Ethiopia, but that there are also pockets of Leelkase living in Bari and Mudug (11 Mar. 1997). He further stated that the Leelkase played a significant role in the Siad Barre regime. He explained that although they are an insignificant minority subclan of the Darod, Siad Barre recruited them into the army, where they were "very loyal" to him and they fought "viciously" in the war for Mogadishu in 1990 and early 1991 (ibid.). This source further stated that because they were soldiers during the Siad Barre regime, their current situation is "tough" (ibid.). He added that they are not welcome in Mogadishu because the Hawiye, who are now fighting for control of the city, "strongly dislike them" (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Historian and Somali specialist at Savannah State College, Savannah, Georgia. 11 March 1997. Telephone interview.
Somali specialist, U.S. Institute for Peace, Washington, DC. 11 March 1997. Telephone interview.
