Somalia’s Ahlu Sunnah fighters join government forces
The Somali government has officially started incorporating fighters from the moderate Islamist group, Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama’ah into the various national security apparatus.
Prime Minister Hassan Ali Kheyre, who has recently been visiting the Ahlu Sunnah-strong-hold of Dusamareb in central Somalia, previously ordered army commanders to start registering members of the armed group as government soldiers.
Fighters in the town have reportedly started handing in their weapons to government and army officials.
The opening ceremony of the integration process, held today in Dusamareb, was attended by Prime Minister Kheyre, the top executive commander of Ahlu Sunnah, the African Union (AU) Special Envoy to Somalia Francisco Madeira, who is also the commander of the AU peacekeeping mission in the country, and Mohamed Ali Guyo, the special representative of the Intergovernmental Authority on development (IGAD).
Ahlu Sunnah fighters are credited with driving al-Shabab militants from large parts of Galgudud Region in central Somalia.
In December 2017, the group signed an agreement with the central Somalia state of Galmudug, joining the administration there and lending their fighters to the state to serve as security forces.
The agreement broke down last month after Ahlu Sunnah sided with the Somali Federal Government, which was involved in a row over elections with Galmudug State President Ahmed Duale Gelle Haaf.
The central government and the regional leader have since signed an agreement that gives Haaf six months to form a new regional government.
