Culture of Somaliland

Xeer (pronounced ) is the traditional legal system used by Somalis in Djibouti, Somalia, Somaliland, Somali Region of Ethiopia, and the North Eastern Province in Kenya. It is one of the three systems from which formal Somali law draws its inspiration, the others being civil law and Islamic law. It is believed to pre-date Islam. However, Islam influenced it, with Xeer incorporating many Islamic legal principles. Under this system, the elders, known as the , serve as mediator judges and help settle court cases, taking precedent and custom into account. Xeer is polycentric in that different group

public holiday in Somaliland