The al-Qaeda-linked Mujahideen Youth Movement in Somalia has announced a merger with a rival rebel group.
Below is a full English translation of the statement, which was issued in Somali:
By the grace of Allah, the Al Shabaab Mujahideen Movement and the mujahideen of Ras Kamboni Camp today merged under one name: Al Shabaab Mujahideen Movement.
The two sides agreed to continue the fight against the enemies of Allah and to seek the establishment of an Islamic government.
Sheikh Fu’ad Mohammed Khalaf and Sheikh Mohammed Dulyadeyn were among the leaders who jointly revealed this at a news conference in Baidoa. The agreement, which contains several items, was read out to the media by Sheikh Fu’ad, who said:
“We hereby state that the two mujahideen brother [groups] have agreed:”
“1. To unite the mujahideen of the two groups.
“2. To seek to unify Muslims, especially the mujahideen who still remain out of the merger. We want them to join the mujahideen merger, and Allah will guarantee it.
“3. To embark upon the establishment of an Islamic government that implements the law of Allah.
“4. To support Muslims, particularly the Muslim people of east and the Horn of Africa living under enemy Christians who are the majority.
“5. In order to restore the Muslims’ damaged honor, political power, economic power, and military power, Muslims of the east and the Horn of Africa should be united and hostilities the colonizer has fomented among Muslims of this region be brought to an end.
“6. To counter the international crusaders’ war against Muslims and to combine the jihad of the Horn of Africa with the international jihad.”
Sheikh Mohammed Dulyadeyn read out the names of the leaders from the two sides who took part in the talks and are signatories to the agreement. Signatories from the Ras Kamboni side are:
1. Sheikh Hasan Abdullahi Hirsi, also known as Sheikh Hassan Turki
2. Sheikh Mohammed Mohammed Ali, also known as Dulyadeyn
3. Sheikh Mohammed Ahmad Guhad, also known as Abu Sa’ad
4. Sheikh Abdiqadir Abdullahi Mohammed
5. Sheikh Ibrahim Adan IbrahimSignatories from al Shabaab Mujahideen Movement are:
1. Sheikh Mukhtar Abdirahman Abu Zubeyr, the Emir of al Shabaab
2. Sheikh Mukhtar Robow Ali, also known as Abu Mansur
3. Sheikh Fu’ad Mohammed Khalaf
4. Sheikh Abdirahman Ahmad Adan, also known as Abdirahman Siro
5. Sheikh Abubakar Zeyli’iAllah is Great, Allah is Great
