Warsangeli

The Warsangeli are a Somali clan, belonging to the Harti confederation within the Darod clan-family. They inhabit the northeastern regions of Somaliland and Somalia, with historic centers along the coast near Las Khorey and in the Nugaal valley. Today their communities are concentrated in Somaliland and Puntland, with populations in parts of the Sool and Nugaal regions. The Warsangeli are predominantly Muslim and speak Somali.

Historically, the Warsangeli founded the Warsangeli Sultanate, a coastal and inland polity that controlled parts of the northeastern region, with a center at Las Khorey. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the sultanate engaged with European powers and signed protectorate-era arrangements with the British. Following the drawing of colonial borders, Warsangeli lands were incorporated into British Somaliland and, later, into the Somali Republic; in the present era they lie within the self-declared Somaliland region as well as Puntland.

In social organization, the Warsangeli are part of the broader Harti sub-clan; membership is determined by lineage, and governance traditionally relies on elder councils (guurti) and customary law (xeer) to resolve disputes and guide community affairs. The group has historically been involved in pastoralism, coastal trade, and seasonal movement across the Horn of Africa, maintaining networks with neighboring Somali clans and communities.