The Somali government has joined forces with the Ahlu Sunna militia to fight hard-line Islamic insurgents. The group represents moderate Sufi Muslims who have been fighting the al-Shabaab and Hizbul Islam rebel groups.
 
The deal is important for the UN-backed Somali government, which controls little of the country beyond the capital Mogadishu. Lately, it has stepped up operations against Hizbul Islam and al-Shabaab, which has links to al-Qaeda. Both insurgent groups have control over the south of the country.

Deal
In a ceremony in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, on Monday, Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and Ahlu Sunna leader Sheikh Mahmoud Sheikh Hassan signed the deal to integrate administrative and military structures to fight the insurgent groups.

As part of the deal, Ahlu Sunna will get five ministries as well as top positions in the Somali armed forces.

Inevitable
Dutch Africa expert Professor Jon Abbink of Leiden University says it was inevitable that Ahlu Sunna would join the government.

“This movement has broad following among the Somali population and it represents mainstream Islam. I think the people in Somalia are more convinced of Ahlu Suna’s agenda for the country than al-Shabaab’s.”

Newsline interview with Prof. Jon Abbink

“Ahlu Suna have become the targets of the militants who destroy the graves of Ahlu Suna’s spiritual leaders, who dismantle women’s organisations and who destroy their holy sites”, Prof Abbink continues. “Ahlu Suna simply couldn’t tolerate that anymore”.

Driven into politics
The group was formed in the early 1990s as a religious rather than a political movement. According to Mr Abbink, the group has now been more or less driven into politics by al-Shabaab’s attempts to enforce strict Sharia law in Somalia. Ahlu Suna feels it has to defend its moderate views on Islam against the insurgents’ hard line views. 

"Ahlu Suna often have been mediating between politicians and rebels”, says Prof Abbink, "and if they can take up that moderate position in the new government, they could make a difference to the Somali people."

Weakened
The Somali government is satisfied with Ahlu Suna’s steps to join a coalition, saying it’s “A victory for peace and a crushing defeat for extremist groups”. But the government effectively controls only a small part of the country and it’s been severely weakened by reports of widespread corruption. It announced a major offensive against the rebels earlier this year, but has yet to launch one.

Even though the government is virtually powerless, Professor Abbink thinks this deal is a good thing for Ahlu Sunna: “There’s no alternative. There is support for this government, albeit not overwhelming. Its failures are well known. But they’re working to overcome these problems. Besides, the alternative for Ahlu Sunna is do nothing. That’s even worse”.