Harardhere is a town in the Mudug

Mudug

Mudug is an administrative region in north-central Somalia. Bordered by the Ogaden, the Somalian regions of Nugaal and Galguduud, and the Indian Ocean, its capital is the city of Galkacyo.-Districts:...

 province of central Somalia

Somalia

Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...

, also spelled Harardheere and Xarardhere or Xarard-heere. It has become notorious in recent times as a base

Pirate haven

Pirate havens are ports or harbors that are a safe place for pirates to repair their vessels, resupply, recruit, spend their plunder, avoid capture, and/or lie in wait for merchant ships to pass by. The areas have governments that are unable or unwilling to enforce maritime laws...

 for piracy in Somalia

Piracy in Somalia

Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century...

. A pirate cooperative exchange opened here in 2009 to finance pirate activities.

In May of 2010, members of Hizbul Islam entered the city, causing many pirates to flee. It is still a base of maritime piracy and the latest ship, the 10500 ton Italian tanker SAVINA CAYLYN was seized on February 8th 2011 and arrived at the town on the 12th where it is now moored.

Mohamed Said Iyow, the first member of parliament to be elected, hailed from the Sarur clan, based in Harardhere. He was a leading figure in securing independence for Somalia, and was a key member of the