Horyaal Democratic Front
The Horyaal Democratic Front or Horyaal was a Gadabuursi paramilitary organization that was active in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. The meaning of Horyaal is liberator in Somali.
It was founded and consisted mainly of the Gadabuursi subclan of the Dir clan family. It was created initially to hold back Ethiopia and harass the opposition fronts.
It was a separatist rebel group fighting in eastern Ethiopia to create an independent state. It played a major role in the Western Somali of 1977-78 assisting the invading Somali Army. Since the end of the Ethiopian Civil War, the Horyaal Democratic Front was almost totally incorporated into the Western Somali Democratic Front. The area of influence straddles the Somaliland border and incorporated the Dire Dawa, Jijiga, Jinacsani, Tuliguled, Harar, Ejersa Goro and the Awbar zones. The Center of this rebel was the mountains between Jinacsani and Dire Dawa.
