Xeer Ciise: Oral customary laws of Somali-Issa communities in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia
Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia
Inscribed in 2024 (19.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
© Ethiopian Heritage Authority (EHA), 2023 The Xeer Ciise refers to the oral customary laws of the Somali-Issa communities in Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia. A highly structured and rigorously codified system of democratic governance, it has three main components: (a) a political constitution, which defines the distribution of power and decision-making processes; (b) a penal code, which establishes community justice, focusing on reconciliation and compensation; and (c) a code of social conduct, which defines a series of metaphysical, spiritual and social principles and values to regulate collective and individual behaviour. These laws help ensure peaceful coexistence within the community and with other ethnic groups. They incorporate global values and principles, such as respecting the rights of women and children, environmental conservation, peaceful conflict resolution and mutual assistance. Xeer Ciise is transmitted informally, including through tales, proverbs, games, poetry and initiation rites. It is also transmitted through formal educational curricula, panel discussions, symposiums and print and electronic media. For the Somali-Issa, the practice unites communities in the Horn of Africa and defines their collective and individual identity, their mutual solidarity and their social cohesion. The system promotes conflict resolution, peace, cooperation, and moral conduct, while enhancing social equity and good governance.
