Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, the leader of Hizbul Islam, an Islamist rebel group in central and southern Somalia, has appealed to Al Shabaab to agree to a ceasefire. Al Shabaab, Somalia's second major fundamentalist Islamist insurgent group, has until recently fought together with Hizbul Islam against the Somali government and African Union troops. The two Islamist groups control much of southern and central Somalia.

Sheikh Aweys, who led the Union of Islamic Courts which gained control of much of the country in 2006, says the infighting will only help the Somali government and AU forces. Last week, Al Shabaab militiamen expelled Hizbul Islam fighters from Somalia's southern port of Ksmayu. Clashes between the two groups have been continuing in surrounding districts.

Al Shabaab is considered by Washington to be al Qaeda's proxy in Somalia. Hizbul Islam was founded after the overthrow of the Union of Islamic Courts. The Islamists ruled the capital Mogadishu and much of Somalia in 2006, until they were defeated in December 2006 by Ethiopian troops and Somali government forces. The Islamists have since regained control of much of the territory from which they were expelled.

Western countries hope to convince the more moderate Hizbul Islam movement to agree to a deal with the government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. However, Sheikh Aweys has shown little inclination to agree to such a deal.
 

Advance of the Union of Islamic Courts in 2006
Photo by Wikimedia Commons