The Madhiban (Somali: Madhibaan), also known as the Madhibaan (an appellation which is sometimes used pejoratively[1]), is a Somali clan.
Its members are principally concentrated in northern Somalia, numbering only around 9,000 individuals (1960's estimate).
The Madhiban trace descent from a patriarch named Mahdibe . They were traditionally hunters, but now engage in occupational activities such asleather work (shoemaking).
Because of their farmer-craftsmen history, which some Somalis consider to be lower caste occupations, they are sometimes viewed as being of a lowercaste or class.
The Madhiban also face considerable sectarian violence within Somalia, particularly as a result of the Somali Civil War and associated hardships.