Ahlu Sunna announces scaling back on politics, to focus on ‘religious mission’

Ahlu Sunna Wal Jamaa will cease political involvement and focus on its religious mission, its leaders said Saturday and announced cooperation with the state and federal government.

Speaking following their surrender Saturday to the Federal Government, the group’s spiritual leader Moalim Mohamud Hassan and political leader Sheikh Mohamed Shakir said they will no longer oppose the local administration and that they will from now henceforth focus on their religious mission.

“We have agreed that we will no longer be involved in political issues. We will remain a religious group,” Hassan said.

Shakir who served as Galmudug state Chief Minister since 2018 said the group had got assurance from Somali National Army that the group’s members and clerics will be protected.

The two leaders surrendered early Saturday to federal forces following a deadly clash between its fighters and the federal soldiers leading to the death of about 10 people in Dhusamareb and Gur’iel towns.

The group also surrendered eight vehicles to Galmudug state administration; two of which belonged to the security ministry.

The announcement to scale back political activity by Alhu Sunna does not remain unchallenged given the group currently has 20 seats in the newly constituted Galmudug state parliament.

Prime Minister Hassan Khaire struck a deal with the group in July that saw some of its forces integrate with the national security forces and allocation of 20 seats in Galmudug parliament.

Alhu Sunna has been a major political and security actor in central Somalia zoning off its areas of control from Al-Shabaab and has in the past collaborated with government forces in fight against the militant group.

However, the group sharply fell out with the Federal Government in 2015 after it boycotted the State formation conference and subsequently held control of the state capital Dhusamareb until late 2018 when an IGAD brokered deal saw the group let the state government relocate the capital from Adado to Dhusamareb.