All Somalis trace their origin to two mythical brothers, Samaal and Saab (IBRDC March 1990, 12-14). The descendants of these two brothers constitute six clan-families (Ibid.) The Sheikel is a sub-clan of the Hawiye, one of the four major clan-families which belong to the Samaal line (Ibid.). The Samaal are nomadic or seminomadic pastoralists (Ibid.). The Hawiye occupy the south-central portions of Somalia and the city of Mogadishu, the capital, and are probably the largest or the second largest after the Darood clan (Samatar 1991, 20). For details of the Genealogical Chart of Somalia please refer to the attached documents.

The United Somali Congress (USC), a largely Hawiye organization, was constituted in Rome in the last month of 1988 (Samatar 1991, 20). On 27 January 1991, after two weeks of intense fighting between the government forces and USC rebels units in Mogadishu, the city fell to Hawiye clansmen under the banner of the USC (Ibid.). For further information please refer to the attached documents. Additional and/or corroborating information on the requested subject could not be found among the sources currently available to the IRBDC.

Kurian, George, ed. Encyclopedia of the Third World. 1987. New York: New York, Facts on File, Inc.

Immigration and Refugee Board Documentation Centre (IRBDC). March 1990. Somalia: Country Profile. Ottawa: IRBDC.

New African [London]. November 1991. "Somalia's Political Patchwork."

Samatar, Said S. August 1991. Somalia: A Nation in Turmoil. April 1991, London: Minority Rights Group Limited.

Immigration and Refugee Board Documentation Centre (IRBDC). March 1990. Somalia: Country Profile. Ottawa: IRBDC.

New African [London]. November 1991. "Somalia's Political Patchwork."

Samatar, Said S. August 1991. Somalia: A Nation in Turmoil. April 1991, London: Minority Rights Group Limited.