Friday 05, Dec 2025 {CBB}The Somaliland Police Force has urged residents of Boorama to remain calm after protests over the planned commemoration of the Xeer Ciise book in Saylac turned deadly, leaving two young men dead and several others injured since Thursday.
The Xeer Ciise refers to the oral customary laws followed by Somali-Issa communities across Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Somalia. UNESCO has officially recognized Xeer Ciise.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Somaliland Police Chief Abdirahman Abdillaahi Hassan (Abdi Dheere) said security forces were working to restore order in the city and warned the public against destroying property.
“To the agitated public protesting in Boorama since last night, I say: do not burn our city. The beautiful laws of Boorama are being set ablaze. People can protest and express objections, but burning property is not acceptable,” Chief Abdi Dheere said.
He added that security forces would no longer tolerate acts of violence or destruction, accusing certain groups of exploiting the unrest to loot public and private property, including an attack on the Central Bank’s local headquarters.
The police chief called on the community to return to dialogue and instructed security forces to maintain calm and ensure the safety of the city.
Suldaan Dhawal, a prominent cleric in the Awdal region, said on Friday that community leaders had recently met with the President of Somaliland, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdillahi Cirro, to express their objection to the book launch. He added that they had planned to brief the media on their discussions on Saturday but said the government acted “in haste.”
By Friday morning, tensions in the city remained high. Sporadic protests continued, with security forces patrolling markets and key locations. Some demonstrators carried the flag of the Awdal State movement and chanted “Awdal State.”
The bodies of those killed and the injured have been taken to Borama Hospital. The Somaliland government is facing accusations of using excessive force against unarmed protesters and has yet to propose a formal solution to ease the tensions
