The Dir clan is sub-divided into three sub-clans: the Issa, the Gadabursi, and the Bimale. Most Dir live in northern Somalia, which in May 1991, under the leadership of the Isaak dominated Somali National Movement (SNM), declared itself the independent Republic of Somaliland (IRBDC, March 1990, pp. 1,14). Of the major political forces in the country, two relatively small groups - the Somali Democratic Association (SDA) and the United Somali Front (USF) - are controlled by the Gadabursi and the Issa respectively (Indian Ocean Newsletter, 27 July 1991).
In March 1991, there were heavy clashes reported between the SDA and the USF on the one side, and SNM on the other (New African, May 1991).
Although the SDA and USF oppose an independent Somaliland, the current 19-member Somaliland government includes two Gadabursi and 1 Issa (Africa Confidential, 14 June 1991). The 105-member constituent committee, formed in April 1991 in order to work on a draft constitution and timetable for free elections to be held sometime in 1993, also contains 20 Gadabursi and 5 Issa. It is unclear whether any of these representatives are members of the SDA or the USF (Jeune Afrique, 18 June 1991).
The SDA and USF took part in the "national reconciliation conference" in Djibouti in July 1991, boycotted by the SNM, which reached an accord on an interim government in southern Somalia. They are therefore also playing a continuing role in southern Somali politics (Indian Ocean Newsletter, 27 July 1991; FBIS-AFR-91-161, 20 August 1991, p. 4; FBIS-AFR-91-165, 26 August 1991, p. 3).
Bibliography

Africa Confidential. 14 June 1991. "Somalia: One State or Two."

FBIS-AFR-91-165. 26 August 1991. "Meets `Political Groups'," Radio Mogadishu, 21 August 1991.

FBIS-AFR-91-161. 20 August 1991. "United Somali Front News Conference in Djibouti [sic]," Radio Mogadishu, 17 August 1991.

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

Indian Ocean Newsletter. 27 July 1991. "Somalia: Djibouti Conference Egg-Shell Agreement."

Jeune Afrique. 18 June 1991. "La sécession après la guerre."

New African. May 1991. Lindijer, Koert. "Why SNM Spurns USC Overtures."