Xeer in the Somali Regional State: autonomy and control in the Ethiopian federal context

The Somali Regional State, a constituent State of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is characterised by a context of legal pluralism in which Somali traditional law (xeer) plays a central role alongside positive law and religious law. Although formally integrated into the Ethiopian federal system, the Somali Regional State continues to rely on xeer, a traditional legal system rooted in Somali social organisation and identity, particularly in the regulation of social relations and in conflict management. The coexistence and interaction of these normative orders highlight the dynamics of autonomy and control shaping governance in the Somali Regional State.