Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia

Last updated
Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia
Chairperson Sheikh Sharif Ahmed
Founded2007
Preceded by Islamic Courts Union
Merged into Transitional Federal Government of Somalia
Headquarters Asmara (Sep. 2007–Jan. 2009)
Djibouti (June 2008–Jan. 2009)

The Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) was political party formed in Eritrea during September 2007 as the successor to the Islamic Courts Union (ICU). It served as the principal political opposition to the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG). The organization would also participate in the 2007 and 2008 years of the insurgency during the Ethiopian intervention in Somalia. [1] [2]

Contents

In June 2008, the ARS and TFG signed a historic agreement that resulted in the integration of the ARS into the Somali transitional parliament. [3] [2] By the end of January 2009, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, the former head of both the ICU and the ARS, was elected as the President of Somalia. [2]

History of the ARS

Formation

Members of the Islamic Courts Union, Transitional Federal Government officials, Somali diaspora and prominent figures of Somali civic society united to form a political party in Asmara, the capital of Eritrea. Roughly 400 delegates of the Somali Congress for Liberation and Reconstitution, which included members such as ICU Executive chairman Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, former TFG Speaker of Parliament Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden, former Somali National Army General Jama Mohamed Ghalib, former TFG Deputy Prime Minister Hussein Mohamed Farrah, along with prominent members of women's groups approved a constitution and committee. The newly formed 191-member Central Committee was chaired by Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden. [2] [4] Al-Shabaab would refuse to participate and later condemned the alliance. [2] Reporters present for the creation of the ARS believed it was unlikely that the alliance would be Islamist-led, as the opposition would be hoping to draw on the broad political support and fundraising opportunities of the Somali diaspora. [5] Hassan Dahir Aweys explicitly stated he did not hold any formal position in the Alliance, [4] and the ARS would avoid giving him and other associated figures leadership positions. [2]

Composition and aims

Despite assertions form outside observers that the ARS would not be Islamist led, [5] head of the ICU Sharif Sheikh Ahmed would be elected head of the alliance. [6] Prof. Ibrahim Hassan Addou, head of the ICU's foreign affairs department would be given the same position in the ARS. The alliance's Defence Secretary, Finance Secretary, Reconciliation Secretary and Justice Secretary positions were all staffed by former ICU officials. Members of civil society and the TFG would staff other positions in the ARS. [2]

To the surprise of many observers, the ARS immediately took a militant stance on the Ethiopian presence in Somalia and declared war on Ethiopian military forces in the country. The alliance further decried the African Unions newly established peacekeeping operation, AMISOM, as an occupation force and demanded its withdrawal. [6] The ARS would put out a communique on its position soon after stating:

“Resistance to the occupation is a legitimate and sacred right. It is a national duty as well as a religious obligation for all citizens,” [6]

Notably, the alliance announced it would refuse to engage in talks with the Transitional Federal Government unless Ethiopian forces withdrew from Somalia. [6] Days following its formation, the US ambassador to Kenya and the US envoy to Somalia both publicly dismissed the ARS as an unimportant organization. [7]

The ARS outlined its main objectives as follows: [2]

  • Liberating Somalia from Ethiopia
  • Promoting Somali solutions through dialogue and peaceful means
  • Combating crimes and violence against civilians
  • Facilitating the resettlement of displaced people
  • Organizing general elections once peace and security are established
  • Establishing a National Government

Conflict with Ethiopia and Al-Shabaab

Al-Shabaab accused the ARS of assassinating one of its leaders on 20 September 2007. Mukhtar Robow, a senior leader in the organization, would proclaim in an interview with Somali media that day: [8]

"[The] Shabaab Movement will struggle to please God, and to kick out the enemy from the country. We know that the Asmara alliance has been given a condition of assassinating some members in the Shabaab Movement, so that they can be given recognition by the non Muslims..."

On 30 September 2007 the ARS claimed responsibility for committing an attack for the first time. Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) troops in Mogadishu were reportedly attacked in two locations in the city. [1] The following year Sharif Sheikh Ahmed would confirm reports that the alliance had begun receiving financial support from the Egyptian government. [9]

The Djibouti Agreement and 2008 merger

The Djibouti Agreement was a peace agreement signed by the ARS and the Transitional Federal Government in 2008. In January 2009 head of the ARS, and former head of the ICU, Sharif Sheikh Ahmed was elected President of Somalia by the Somali Transitional Parliament. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somali Civil War</span> Ongoing conflict in the Horn of Africa

The Somali Civil War is an ongoing civil war that is taking place in Somalia. It grew out of resistance to the military junta which was led by Siad Barre during the 1980s. From 1988 to 1990, the Somali Armed Forces began engaging in combat against various armed rebel groups, including the Somali Salvation Democratic Front in the northeast, the Somali National Movement in the northwest, and the United Somali Congress in the south. The clan-based armed opposition groups overthrew the Barre government in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic Courts Union</span> Former legal and political organisation in Somalia

The Islamic Courts Union was a legal and political organization formed to address the lawlessness that had gripped Somalia since the fall of the Siad Barre regime in 1991 during the Somali Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharif Sheikh Ahmed</span> President of Somalia from 2009 to 2012

Sharif Sheikh Ahmed is a Somali politician who served as President of Somalia from 2009 to 2012. He is the founder and leader of Himilo Qaran political party and also the founder and head of the Forum for National Parties of Somalia. He is the chairperson of the Council of Presidential Candidates of Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transitional Federal Government of Somalia</span> Government of Somalia from 2004 to 2012

The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Republic of Somalia from 14 October 2004 until 20 August 2012, when its tenure officially ended and the Federal Government of Somalia was inaugurated.

Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys (English: Hassan Dahir Aweys (Somali: Xasan Daahir Aweys, is a Somali political figure from the Habargidir/Ayr subclan within the Hawiye clan. During the regime of Siad Barre, Aweys was a colonel in the Somali National Army during the 1977 Ogaden War against Ethiopia. He was decorated for bravery for his part in 1977 the war. At an early stage in the fighting, Sheikh Aweys captured Abdullahi Yusuf and put him in jail. Sheikh Aweys later became a leader of Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya, which was destroyed in the late 1990s by a force led by Abdullahi Yusuf and funded by Ethiopia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War in Somalia (2006–2009)</span> Armed conflict between Ethiopia and Somalia

The War in Somalia, also referred to as the Ethiopian Intervention in Somalia or the Ethiopian Involvement in the Somali Civil War, was a conflict largely involving Ethiopian forces and the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG), supplemented by troops from Puntland. The initial adversary in this conflict was the Somali Islamist group, the Islamic Court Union (ICU), but the extremist militant group Al-Shabaab soon took center stage as an insurgency intensified in the wake of the ICU's collapse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2006 Islamic Courts Union offensive</span> Phase of the Somali Civil War

The 2006 Islamic Courts Union offensive is the period in the Somali Civil War that began in May 2006 with the Islamic Courts Union's (ICU) conquest of Mogadishu from the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism (ARPCT) and continued with further ICU expansion in the country. Following the outbreak of the war on December 21, 2006; by December 24, direct Ethiopian intervention in the conflict in support of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) was no longer denied by the Ethiopian government. The Eritrean government denied any involvement despite Ethiopian claims to the contrary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden</span> Somali politician

Sharif Hassan Sheikh Adan (Somali: Shariif Xasan Sheekh Aadan, Arabic: شريف حسن الشيخ آدم; is a Somali politician. He is a former Minister of Finance of Somalia, and the last Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fall of Mogadishu</span> 2006 takeover of Mogadishu by TFG and Ethiopian troops during the War in Somalia (2006–09)

The fall of Mogadishu occurred on December 28, 2006, when the militaries of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and Ethiopian troops entered the Somali capital unopposed. It came after a swift string of TFG and Ethiopian military victories against the Islamic Courts Union (ICU), which had its headquarters in Mogadishu before it fled south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the transitional federal government of Somalia</span> Aspect of history

The transitional federal government (TFG) was the government of Somalia between 2004 and 2012. Established 2004 in Djibouti through various international conferences, it was an attempt to restore national institutions to the country after the 1991 collapse of the Siad Barre government and the ensuing Somali Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Jilib</span> Battle in the 2006 Somali War

The Battle of Jilib was a battle in the 2006 Somali War fought by the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and affiliated militias against Ethiopian and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces for control of the town of Jilib. It began on 31 December 2006, when ICU forces dug in and defended the town to prevent approach to Kismayo, the last stronghold of the ICU.

Sheikh Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki was a Somali Islamist leader of al-Itihaad al-Islamiya (AIAI) and later of the Islamic Courts Union (ICU).

Battle of Mogadishu may refer to:

The Duduble, also known as the Maxamuud Hiraab, is a Somali sub clan of the larger Hawiye. The Duduble like most Somali clans can trace their lineage back to Samaale the oldest common father of major Somali clans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somali Civil War (2009–present)</span> Present phase of the Somali Civil War, concentrated in southern Somalia

The Somali Civil War (2009–present) is a phase of the Somali Civil War which is concentrated in southern and central Somalia. It began in late January 2009 with the conflict mainly between the forces of the Federal Government of Somalia assisted by African Union peacekeeping troops and al-Qaeda aligned al-Shabaab militants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hizbul Islam</span> 2009–2010 and 2012–2014 Somali Islamist insurgent group

Hizbul Islam, also known as Hizbul Islaami, Hisbi Islam, or Hezb-ul Islam, was a Somali Islamist group formed after four Islamist groups merged to oppose the new Somali government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. The four groups were: Hassan Aweys' the ARS-A, Jabhatul Islamiya, Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki's the Mu'askar Ras Kamboni and Muaskar Anole, the Marehan clan's Militia and Harti clan's militia. These groups previously took part in the fighting against the Ethiopian occupation of Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Mogadishu (2009)</span>

The Battle of Mogadishu (2009) started in May with an Islamist offensive, when rebels from al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam attacked and captured government bases in the capital of Mogadishu. The fighting soon spread, causing hundreds of casualties, and continued on at various levels of intensity until October. The battle's name usually includes the year, when referenced, in order to distinguish it amongst the nine major Battles of Mogadishu during the decades long Somali Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle for Central Somalia (2009)</span>

A series of battles in Hiraan, Shabeellaha Dhexe and Galgudug, between rebels of al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam and Somali government forces and ICU militants loyal to the government, erupted during spring 2009. The fighting led to al-Shabaab capturing major government strongholds and Ethiopian forces re-entering Somalia and setting up bases in Hiraan. There was a halt in fighting during a government offensive in Mogadishu, which started on May 22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ras Kamboni Brigades</span> Islamist insurgent group in Somalia

The Ras Kamboni Brigades also known as the Ras Kamboni Brigade, Muaskar Ras Kamboni or Mu'askar Ras Kamboni was an Islamist insurgent group active in Somalia, which took part in the anti-Ethiopian insurgency and later in the insurgency against the new Transitional Federal Government of Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. It was founded by Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki, who was a commander of the Islamic Courts Union and the commander of its predecessor Itihaad al Islamiyah. In January 2009, after the Ethiopian withdrawal they merged with the Asmara-based wing of the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia, led by Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, Jabhatul Islamiya, led by Sheikh Mohamed Ibrahim Hayle and Muaskar Anole to form Hizbul Islam and continue the war against the TFG. During the 2009 Battle of Mogadishu, where in Hizbul Islam took part, Hassan Turki led a group of fighters from the Ras Kamboni Brigade from Kisimayo to Mogadishu as reinforcements, to join the battle.

The Political history of Somalia covers the development of the Somali government and institutional systems following the collapse of the Siad Barre regime in 1991.

References

  1. 1 2 "Alliance for Reliberation of Somalia claims attacks". World News Connection . OSC Translation on Sub-Saharan Africa. Soomaalinews. 30 September 2007.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Dagne, Ted (31 August 2011). "Somalia: Current Conditions and Prospects for a Lasting Peace" (PDF). www.everycrsreport.com. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
  3. ↑ "Our mission is liberation, says Somali Islamist leader". 22 May 2008.
  4. 1 2 "BBC NEWS - Africa - Somali insurgents attack police". News.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
  5. 1 2 "New Somali alliance threatens war". BBC. 12 September 2007.
  6. 1 2 3 4 SudanTribune (2007-09-15). "Islamist to lead Somali opposition alliance". Sudan Tribune. Retrieved 2023-06-25.
  7. ↑ "US envoys criticize Somali opposition conference in Asmara". World News Connection . OSC Translation on Sub-Saharan Africa. 20 September 2007.
  8. ↑ "Somali Islamist group accuses Asmara alliance for killing their leader". World News Connection . OSC Translation on Sub-Saharan Africa. Waagacusub. 20 September 2007.
  9. ↑ "Somali opposition confirms receiving funds from Egypt". World News Connection . Radio Gaalkacyo. 4 May 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.