HARGEISA (Kaab TV) – The historic town of Zeila (Seylac) was calm on Friday morning after clashes erupted the previous day between youths from the Issa and Gadabuursi clans.
Local police forces managed to stop the violence, which broke out after Issa youths announced they would hold a celebration in Zeila to mark Xeer Ciise, the traditional customary law of the Issa clan that UNESCO recently recognized as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in the Horn of Africa.
Members of the Gadabuursi clan, who share the town with the Issa, reportedly opposed the Issa-led event, sparking confrontations that escalated into violence.
It remains unclear if there were casualties, but police sources confirmed that several youths involved in the unrest were arrested and taken into custody.
Issa elders, speaking Thursday evening, accused Somaliland’s Vice President, Mohamed Abdi Aw-Ali, of allowing the youths into the town to cause unrest. The Vice President has not yet responded to the allegations.
The Somaliland government has also not issued any official statement on the clashes in Zeila.
Security sources told Kaab TV that Somaliland has deployed additional forces to Zeila to strengthen security in the historic town.
Clan elders in Awdal region, meanwhile, accused both Djibouti and Mogadishu of being behind the unrest, claiming it was part of a wider plan by the Somali government in Mogadishu to undermine the unity of the Somaliland people.
What is Xeer Ciise?
Xeer Ciise is the traditional customary law practiced by the Issa clan, who live across Djibouti, Ethiopia’s Somali Region, Somaliland (Zeila and Lughaya), and Eritrea.
It governs community life, focusing on conflict resolution, blood compensation, marriage and family, as well as the management of grazing lands, livestock, and farming.
#SOMALILAND: Clashes in Saylac Over Ceremony for Xeer Ciise Customary Law
Unrest lasting several hours broke out this morning in the Somaliland town of Saylac, after some residents opposed a ceremony intended to honor the Ciise Customary Law, which UNESCO recently recognized as… pic.twitter.com/yBFnjShoeo
— Kaab TV (@KaabTV) October 2, 2025
It is administered by clan elders and traditional leaders, and is widely regarded as one of the most structured customary laws among Somali communities. During French colonial rule in Djibouti, Xeer Ciise was documented in Somali and French, making it one of the rare formally recorded Somali customary laws.
The law has also served as a unifying social and political system for the Issa people across borders.
In December 2024, UNESCO officially recognized Xeer Ciise as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, jointly nominated by Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Somalia.
The Town of Zeila
Zeila is a historic port town in northwestern Awdal region, Somaliland, located on the Red Sea coast near the Djibouti border.
It was the capital of the Adal Sultanate between the 13th and 16th centuries and a major commercial hub connecting Arabia, East Africa, India, and the Ottoman Empire.
From its ancient port, livestock, salt, gold, incense, and slaves were exported. Islam spread widely into the Horn of Africa through Zeila, where Islamic scholars and Sharia-based traditions flourished.
Today, Zeila is inhabited by Issa and Gadabuursi clans, as well as other Somali groups historically settled in the area.
The town recently returned to international headlines when Somaliland and Ethiopia signed a memorandum of understanding early last year for Ethiopia to lease a port in Somaliland—widely believed to be Zeila.