As a respected elder and influential peacemaker Sheikh Madar held considerable sway over the Habr Awal clan and this leverage was recognized by the British Parliament in the face of the Salihiyya Dervish movement (Somali) which had severely disrupted the trade of British Somaliland.[17] The protectorate was required to raise its own revenues to cover expenses and trade being halted or crippled was a massive blow to stability in the region.[18]