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Hizbul Islam (" Islamic Party of Islam"), also known as Hizbul Islaami, Hisbi Islam, or Hezb-ul Islam, was a Somalia Islamist group formed after four Islamist groups merged to oppose the new Transitional Federal Government administration of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed several weeks after end of the Ethiopian military occupation of Somalia.
The four groups were: Hassan Aweys' the ARS-A, Jabhatul Islamiya ("Islamic Front"), Hassan Abdullah Hersi al-Turki's the Mu'askar Ras Kamboni (Ras Kamboni Brigade) and Muaskar Anole, the Marehan clan's Militia and Harti clan's militia. Hizbul Islam's principle objectives was the withdrawal of foreign troops and the imposition of Sharia in Somalia. (2019). 9781538130544, Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 9781538130544 The organization was badly weakened by fighting in Mogadishu in early 2009, when it had nearly toppled the government. By 2010 the group split between members who were actively fighting against or actively supporting Al-Shabaab. After much of the group had been merged into Al-Shabaab, Hassan Aweys announced Hizbul Islam's separation from them in 2012.
On 7 February 2009, Hizbul announced that it would continue to oppose 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 Sheikh Ahmed is not different from the one of Abdullahi Yusuf" and that they would continue the jihad.
Sheikh Omar Iman Abubakar, a high-ranking official of the Eritrea-based Alliance for the Reliberation of Somalia, was initially appointed as the group's chairman, he however, later resigned for Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys to take his position.
The press conference, on 24 March, was attended by several important members of Hizbul Islam, most notably the notorious ex-warlord Indho Ade. Sheik Da'ud Mohamed Abtidon, who claimed to be the new spokesperson for the group accused Omar Iman of refusing to accept the Islamic scholars' calls for a ceasefire, in return for AMISOM's withdrawal. Indho Ade was quoted as saying "The group (Hizbul Islam) has agreed to remove Sheikh Omar Iman since he made a mistake and violated the group's laws." Sheikh Mohamed Hassan Ahmed declared a ceasefire and entered negotiations for implementation of sharia law and AMISOM's withdrawal in return for joining the government.
However, Sheikh Aweys, the group's most powerful figure, rejected the claims made by Indho Ade that Sheikh Omar Iman had been removed as chairman. He was quoted as saying "No one can take authority away from Sheikh Omar Iman, because the group (Hizbul Islam) appointed him as chairman." Sheikh Aweys said that Indho Ade and the others from the press conference should form their own group instead of doing what he described as "trying to destroy Hizbul Islam". Prior to this Sheikh Omar Iman had denied that Yusuf Indhacade was the group's defence secretary. This led to the division of Hizbul Islam, with one group led by Yusuf Indhacade and the other led by Sheikh Aweys (with Omar Iman as chairman).
On 21 April 2009, Muaskar Anole and the Ras Kamboni Brigades fought each other in a village called Abdalla Birole, which lies 40 km west of Kismayo. This happened after Muaskar Anole fighters invaded a village called Bulo Haji, while Ras Kamboni Brigade militia arrived in Abdalla Birole and they clashed. The situation in the two villages was said to be tense, 4 people were killed and 7 injured during the fighting.
On 4 May, Al Shabaab and members of the main faction of Hizbul Islam, led by Sheikh Aweys and Umar Iman, attacked a base used by Indho Ade's group of Hizbul Islam. Indho Ade's lieutenants claimed that Al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam trying to expand territory into areas under the control of Indho Ade's militia.
Eight days later, Indho Ade handed over his arms to Sheikh Aweys, ending the group's division. However, soon after, he defected to the government. On 26 May, Omar Iman Abubakr stepped down as chairman and handed over his position to Sheikh Aweys, who was by then clearly the most powerful figure in the group.
The Battle of Kismayo was won by Al-Shabaab which expelled Sheikh Madbobe's Ras Kamboni Brigade militia from the city. In the battles that followed, in November 2009, Sheikh Madobe's militia was overpowered by Al-Shabaab and local allies and forced to withdraw from the Lower Juba region and most of Southern Somalia. In February 2010, Hassan "Turki"'s branch declared a merge with Al-Shabaab. A clash in Hiran, in early 2010, was won by Al Shabaab, which then took control of the area.
In April 2010 a BBC correspondent compared Hizbul Islam to the Taliban of Afghanistan for banning radio stations from playing music.
Late in the year, Hizbul Islam were expelled from Bay region, after Al Shabaab seized control of Burhakaba. Soon after Hizbul Islam was forced to surrender the town of Luuq to Al Shabaab. From mid-December al-Shabaab fighters started taking over Hizbul Islam positions. On 20 December, Hizbul Islam surrendered to Al Shabaab. The BBC reported that rumours of a merger had not been confirmed by the leaders of the two groups, in particular Hizbul Islam leader Sheikh Aweys. Hizbul Islam was disbanded on 20 December 2010.
Hizbul Islam has renounced violence in 2013. In June 2014 former foreign affairs secretary for Hizbul Islam has announced that Hizbul Islam would continue its activity in Somali politics as a political party and changed its name to Istiqlal.
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