Xinjir la daadiyey xab baa lagu dhaqaa: "Bloodshed Can Only Be Washed by Umbilical Fluid": The Somali Culture of Intermarriage for Reconciliation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/ijcm.3754Keywords:
Xeer, Diya, Intermarriage, Reconciliation, Peacebuilding, Somalia, Shir, Guurka Nabadda, Women's Agency, Customary LawAbstract
Purpose: This paper analyzes how intermarriage acts as a mechanism for resolving conflicts in Somali cultural context.
Methodology: Through qualitative case study research and an ethnographical overview of past literature, the author seeks to clarify the cultural and legal foundations of intermarriage as a security architecture through kinship obligation. Additionally, the author also traced the history of intermarriage, from pre-colonial pastoralist societies to its current resurgence.
Findings: Ultimately, this research demonstrates that intermarriage provides more than just a symbolic expression of peace; it provides a structural solution that can reshape kinship obligations, redistribute responsibility for providing security and establish peace at the core of the social networks among the clans that are parties to the agreement. Furthermore, this research addresses the critical role of gender politics and emphasizes women's agency, the ethics of obtaining their consent, and the daily lives of brides who serve as 'human bridges' between warring clans. Three detailed case studies combined with an overall comparison of Africa-wide customs including those of the Acholi, Dinka Nuer, Oromo, Southern African, West African and Nigerian peoples provide examples of both the similarity and diversity of kin-based systems for mediating conflict.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This paper provides contributions to the body of knowledge regarding customary peace-building by framing Somalis' use of intermarriage as a complex form of transforming conflict into sustainable peace, locating it within a wider continental tradition of kinship-mediated security governance and ultimately offering suggestions for ethical guidelines and hybrid models of governance that balance customary legitimacy with contemporary standards for accountability, rights and inclusivity in peace-building.
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