Hizbul Islam
Hizbul Islam ("Islamic Party"), also known as Hizbul Islaami, Hisbi Islam, or Hezb-ul Islam was a Somali Islamist insurgent group. It was formed after four Islamist groups merged to fight the new Somali government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. The four groups were: Hassan Aweys' ARS-A, Jabhatul Islamiya ("Islamic Front"), Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki's Mu'askar Ras Kamboni (Ras Kamboni Brigade) and Muaskar Anole, the Harti clan's militia. These groups previously took part in the Islamist Insurgency against Ethiopia and the TFG. In December 2010, Hizbul merged into Al-Shabaab, under the name 'Al-Shabaab', after conflict between the two groups, but re-separated in September 2012.
The group has been compared to the Taliban of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
History
Start
Hizbul Islam was formed in January 2009 by a merger of four groups, with Ali Yassin Mohamed among its founders.
On 7 February 2009, Hizbul announced that it would continue fighting the new government led by President Sharif Sheik Ahmed and the African Union forces in Mogadishu. Omar Iman, the group's first chairman, said, "the so-called government led by Sharif Sheik Ahmed is not different from the one of Abdullahi Yusuf" and that they would continue the struggle (Jihad).
