The following information was provided by a Somali specialist at Savannah State College in Savannah, Georgia in a telephone interview on 11 April 1996.

According to the source, the Galgale do not fit into any major clan lineage in Somalia; however they have traditionally been associated with the Hawiye clan family. The Galgale, who have no particular locale where they are the dominant subclan, usually lived amongst Hawiye subclans. While the source was unable to specify whether they lived with a particular subclan of the Hawiye, the source stated that the Galgale could be found in the inter-riverine area of Somalia, between the Juba and Shebelle rivers, Kismayo and Mogadishu.

The Galgale would not likely be targeted by other groups because they are a small group themselves with no territory or resources. Thus, they pose no threat to other subclans, nor offer any particular advantage in terms of property. However, the situation of the Galgale would be similar to that of any other Somali clan which runs the risk of being victimised by the eruption of clan fighting in a particular area. In addition, the Galgale did not play a role in Somali politics prior to the fall of the Siad Barre government and so are not likely to be victimised for their politics.

For general information on the situation in Mogadishu and on the Hawiye clans there, please consult Responses to Information Requests SOM23103.E of 6 March 1996 and SOM23102.E of 11 March 1996; for information on Kismayo, please consult SOM22640.E of 7 March 1996, all of which are available at Regional Documentation Centres.

Additional and/or corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB.

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.

Somali specialist, Savannah State College, Savannah, Georgia. 11 April 1996. Telephone interview with professor of history.
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