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September 24, 2012
Somali Islamist group Hizbul Islam has announced that it is separating from al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab, the BBC reported Monday (September 24th).
Hizbul Islam spokesman Mohamed Moallin told the BBC Somali Service that they decided to part ways with the militant group after they saw the political changes taking place in Somalia.
Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, the leader of Hizbul Islam, has criticised al-Shabaab for aimlessly killing civilians and for its affiliation with al-Qaeda. Hizbul Islam merged its forces with al-Shabaab in late 2010.
Moallin said the group will start talks with anyone working to bring peace to Somalia, adding that the group does not share the same ideology and politics as al-Shabaab.
In late March, Aweys labelled the actions of al-Shabaab's leaders as being far removed from Islam. "I warn my jihadist brothers in al-Shabaab against letting the blood of the Somali nation and killing innocent civilians in the name of Islam," Aweys told a gathering of his followers.
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![A supposedly recent picture of al-Shabaab fighters appeared on the organisation's official Twitter account on April 30th. [File]](/shared/images/2013/05/24/somalia-shabaab-twitterpic-100_67.jpg)
![A regional conference promoting investment in Somalia will take place in Nairobi next week. Above, Somali porters offload goods from a ship berthed in the port of Mogadishu on April 24th. [Tony Karumba/AFP]](/shared/images/2013/05/24/somalia-kenya-investment-100_67.jpg)
![Sayed Mansour (centre) and Ahmad Mohammed (right), both Iranian nationals, are handcuffed moments after being sentenced May 6th in Nairobi to life in prison on terror-related charges, including possessing explosives allegedly for use in bomb attacks. [Simon Maina/AFP]](/shared/images/2013/05/23/kenya-iran-terrorism-100_67.jpg)
![Police are dispatched to patrol the streets of Dar es Salaam on Thursday (May 23rd) after violence erupted in Mtwara over the construction of a gas pipeline. [Deodatus Balile/Sabahi]](/shared/images/2013/05/23/tanzania-mtwara-unrest-100_67.jpg)
![Women clap during a ceremony in August 2012 at Konis Stadium, marking the first anniversary of al-Shabaab's withdrawal from Mogadishu. [Mohamed Abdiwahab/AFP]](/shared/images/2013/05/13/somalia-mogadishu-women-100_67.jpg)
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Reader's Comments
Al-Shabaab has to be welcomed and engaged in a moderate way for it to soften.