CONFLICT RESOLUTION BY SOMALI NORMS

As popular Somali saying of “Ilaahayoow Eexna Ha Nooga Tagin Aqoon La’aana Ha Nagu Cadaabin”
In Somali culture and norms, the two conflicting parties were asked to stop the war by neutral people and were sworn under trees to reach peace resolution; these resolutions were made by seven men who were decision making of the society; these seven committees used to take vote of confidence from the conflicting parties and used to reach decisions of the conflicting issue: the committees were:

1.     Sharafle suldaan ah/ honorable suldan,

2.     Sheikh caalim ah/ educated religious man,

3.     Shaacir abwaan ah/ orator-ship composer,

4.     Shaambiye dalmar ah/ experience traveler,

5.     Shacab yaqaan oday ah/ tribal known elder,

6.     Sharci yaqaan xeer-beegti ah/ specialized traditional lawyer,

7.     Shirabane geesi ah/ trained brave man.

After the committee announces the final resolution of the matter, they dictated the conflicting parties, girls were exchanged to get an atmosphere of fraternal matrimonies and to forget social complexity in both sides.

Any side breaks the articles agreed upon, was fined in camels, the committee worked on for a year or more that articles agreed on were fulfilled by conflicting parties.

By: Nageye Ali