The ancient port city of Zeila (Saylac), long a symbol of Awdal’s history and identity, became the epicentre of a violent political and social rupture the last couple of months. What began in November as preparations for the launch of the “Xeer Ciise Book” rapidly escalated into one of the deadliest internal crises the breakaway region of Somaliland has faced since the Las Anod uprising, exposing deep fractures over history, sovereignty, and political trust.
To many in Awdal, Zeila is not merely a town but a mirror of collective heritage. The proposed ceremony was widely perceived as a calculated provocation — an attempt to reshape the historical and territorial narrative of the region under the guise of culture. The backlash was swift and widespread, igniting protests that resonated across Awdal province and beyond.
Djibouti’s Shadow and Awdal’s Rejection
Central to the unrest was the belief that the Xeer Ciise initiative was not an isolated cultural endeavour but part of a broader external agenda. In Awdal, accusations of “Djibouti’s hidden hand” spread quickly. Many locals viewed the event as linked to territorial ambition and an expansion of influence by the neighbouring state, particularly given Zeila’s strategic and symbolic importance.
This perception fuelled a surge of regional nationalism and sharpened criticism of the Hargeisa administration, which was accused of allowing a politically explosive project to proceed without adequate consultation or safeguards. For residents, the question was simple but damning: how could a supposedly cultural event threaten public order so profoundly unless deeper political motives were at play?
Djibouti’s government, led by President Ismail Omar Guelleh, firmly rejected the accusations, issuing a press release denying any interference and reiterating respect for borders and neighbourly relations. Yet skepticism in Awdal persisted. The scale of the violence, many argued, could not be explained by cultural disagreement alone.
The Dark Week: December 5–7, 2025
The crisis reached its tragic climax between December 5th and 7th, when security forces moved to disperse protesters in Zeila and Borama. Live ammunition was used against unarmed youth.
The toll was devastating:
- Fatalities: Nineteen people were confirmed dead, including young activists such as Said Hassan Mohamed Shire, Abdirahman Mixile, and Mustafe Ali. Video footage circulated widely, appearing to show security forces deliberately targeting protesters.
- Injuries: At least 214 people were wounded. While most sustained minor injuries, 20 were critically injured.
- Emergency Airlift: Seven of the most seriously wounded were flown to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for specialized medical treatment.
The images and testimonies from those days sent shockwaves through Awdal, reviving painful memories and deepening mistrust toward state institutions.
Historical Grievances and the Weight of Memory
According to analysis published by Kormeeraha Magazine, the Zeila unrest cannot be understood in isolation. It is rooted in a longer history of grievances, particularly the enduring trauma of the 1991 Borama Massacre. That episode, still vivid in collective memory, remains a core driver of suspicion toward central authority.
The magazine has also documented a pattern of political marginalization, the silencing of youth movements, and uneven development in recent years. For many in Awdal, these trends have fostered a sense of being treated as “second-class citizens” within the Somaliland project — a perception that made the response to the Xeer Ciise controversy especially combustible.
Traditional Elders: Stability Before Collapse
In the immediate aftermath of the violence, traditional elders in Awdal emerged as pivotal crisis managers. Led by figures such as Sultan Dhawal, they sought to prevent further bloodshed while preserving community cohesion.
Their actions reflected several key priorities:
- Restoring Local Control: Elders ordered the temporary withdrawal of military and police units from Borama to defuse tensions. By December 10, they announced that security responsibilities had been returned to the police after the risk of renewed violence subsided.
- Rejecting External Agendas: Prominent elders openly opposed holding the Xeer Ciise ceremony in Zeila, framing it as a political flashpoint driven by external patrons. They urged local Gadabursi community unity against what they described as Djiboutian territorial claim.
- Skepticism Toward “Bloody Compensation”: While the government is considering paying magdhow (blood money) and xaal-marin for 19 victims, many elders and intellectuals criticized the approach. Financial settlements, they argued, could not heal decades of distrust or substitute for justice.
- Calls for Accountability: Despite the compensation, demands for independent investigations into the use of lethal force against civilians persisted, reflecting a broader insistence on institutional accountability.
Hargeisa Under Fire
The Somaliland government’s handling of the crisis drew condemnation both domestically and internationally. The Somaliland Human Rights Centre described the use of excessive force as unjustifiable. Although formal apologies were issued and compensation paid, the episode left a lasting scar on relations between Awdal and the central government.
Critics warned that addressing the crisis solely through compensation risked entrenching a dangerous precedent: that political grievances could be suppressed with force and later settled financially, without legal consequences for those responsible.
Long-Term Political Fallout
The consequences of the Zeila crisis are already reshaping the political landscape:
- Erosion of National Unity: The violent crackdown has widened the rift between Awdal and Hargeisa, fueling renewed “Awdal State” sentiments and open debate about the sustainability of the current political arrangement.
- External Influence and Sovereignty: Failure to manage the controversy internally has increased vulnerability to external actors exploiting local grievances, weakening Somaliland’s claim to coherent regional sovereignty.
- Rights Versus Mood Politics: Among Awdal’s youth, a belief has solidified that their freedoms depend on shifting political moods rather than stable constitutional protections.
Zeila Today: Fragile Calm, Deep Fault Lines
As of late January 2026, Zeila exists in a state of uneasy stability under heavy security presence.
Key developments include:
- Cancellation of the Event: President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi “Irro” formally cancelled the Xeer Ciise book launch, originally scheduled for December 14, following intense pressure from Awdal elders.
- Heightened Security Operations: Somaliland authorities report eliminating militants near Zeila amid fears of cross-border mobilization from Djibouti or Ethiopia’s Somali Region.
- Persistent Clan Polarization: While open violence has subsided, tensions between Issa and Gadabursi communities remain unresolved, evolving into broader disputes over cultural recognition and local sovereignty.
- Recognition Shockwaves: Somaliland’s recent recognition by Israel has added another layer of sensitivity, with authorities tightening security to prevent national protests from merging with local grievances.
- Diplomatic Caution: Local leaders warn that any future attempt to revive events perceived as external interference could rapidly reignite unrest.
A City at the Crossroads
Zeila now stands at a crossroads — between reconciliation and renewed confrontation. The crisis has laid bare unresolved questions about history, power, and belonging within Somaliland. Whether the city becomes a symbol of healing or a warning of deeper fragmentation will depend on whether political accountability, inclusive dialogue, and respect for local agency replace force as the primary tools of governance.
For Awdal, the message from Zeila is clear: stability imposed without trust is temporary, and history, when ignored, has a way of returning with force.
