Benadiri

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Ethnic groups in Somalia

The Benadiri or Reer Hamar are an ethnic minority in Somalia , who are mainly resident in the cities of Mogadishu , Merka and Baraawe on the Benadir coast .

They are descendants of immigrants who had come from Arabia, Persia and possibly South Asia since the 12th century. They differ from the Somali majority by having a slightly lighter skin color, which is why they are also called Gibil Cad ("fair-skinned").

Benadiri is derived from the Benadir coast, which takes its name from the Persian bandar ("port"). Hamar (Somali: Xamar ) is an old name for Mogadishu, which is said to be of Persian origin; Reer Hamar means "people of Mogadishu" or "people of the city".

The Benadiri are traditionally active in trade as well as tailors and fishermen. They are generally wealthier and better educated than the rest of the population, which also creates envy and discrimination. As a small and militarily weak group that does not belong to any of the large Somali clans , the Reer Hamar of Mogadishu got caught between the fronts of the Hawiye subclans and warlords who had fought in the city in the civil war since 1991.

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