Qassim Ahmed Sahl-Mogadishu

The focus of attention is on the territory of Glamdeg in central Somalia, where the organization of Sunnis and the Sufi-minded group accepted the integration of its fighters into the army forces, in a move welcomed by some to what it meant to the Somali government in its war against the Mujahideen Youth Movement, while others saw it as hasty and unthought.

According to Somali Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khairi, the move is an important gain for Somalia in general and for the province of Glamdeg in particular, an update to the sacrifices made by the organization in its war against al Shabaab.

Of the handover of the organization of Sunnis to the Somali government (Office of the Prime Minister of Somalia)

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Khairi called on the organization's fighters to liberate the territory of Ghalmandagh from Al Shabaab, taking advantage of their combat capabilities and the experiences gained in their war against them over the past ten years.

For more than a month, the Somali prime minister has been in Glamdeg province and has succeeded in bringing together Sunni and Jamaat al-Sunnah fighters - who have been fighting al Shabaab since 2008 - to the Somali army, something that all successive Somali governments have failed in the last 10 years.

In the same context, the Prime Minister of Glemgg and the leader of the organization of the Sunnis, Sheikh Mohammed Shaker, that the move constitutes a qualitative addition to the Somali armed forces.

In his view, the integration contributes to the return of the thugs of the Somali army in central Somalia, as it was about 30 years ago, and also plays a major role in the fight against al-Shabaab and the establishment of security and stability in the territory of Glemdeg, he said.

The organization of Ahl al-Sunna and al-Jama'a has been a difficult figure in central Somalia, both militarily and politically, and successive governments have tried to neutralize it, but to no avail, observers said.

However, under the current government, it emerged with unusual flexibility that led to its acceptance of political participation in the province of Gulmadg in 2018, after the settlement gave the leader of the post of head of the territorial government and involved members of the provincial parliament of the region and was followed by the announcement of the integration of fighters in the Somali army and the surrender of his weapon days ago .

Hassan Ali Khairi (center), along with Mohammed Shaker, leader of Ahl al-Sunnah organization and head of the government of Glemdeg (Al-Jazeera)

Allied pressure
In the opinion of the writer and political analyst Anwar Myo, the flexibility demonstrated in the positions of the organization recently was the result either of pressure exerted by Ethiopia's main ally and the largest supporters on the desire of the Somali government, just as happened in the south-west Somalia when Ethiopia pressed the governor The southwestern province of Somalia Sharif Hassan to resign and withdraw his candidacy.

The merger - and the talk of Miu - may be the result of secret contacts with the organization of the Sunnis before the visit of Somali Prime Minister Khairy to the territory of Glemdeg to announce the integration of the organization's fighters into the Somali armed forces as a culmination of his restorative efforts.

Although the Ahl al-Sunnah organization appeared ready to participate in the political process and engage in governmental and regional institutions, it eventually organized an ideological militant known for its Wahhabism and groups it classifies as takfir groups and still imposes its conditions on the federal government on the distribution of positions and power-sharing in the Geldagh region, Makes his taming difficult "in Mio's opinion in an interview with Al Jazeera Net.

Fighters of the organization of the Sunnis during their clash with fighters from the youth movement in Mogadishu in 2010 (Al Jazeera Net)

Criticism of the move
In the military perspective, the security and military expert Sharif Hussein Robo, that the move, although it is positive in general and created a solution to one of the important issues is to attract the organization of the Sunnis and fighters to the bosom of the state and its military and security institutions, it was a hasty and unthought step.

In his view, the move was not part of a strategy previously planned for the Somali army, but an issue that arose in conjunction with Prime Minister Khairi's visit to the Glemdeg region. The two sides saw it as a sudden and urgent attempt to integrate Sunni fighters into the Somali armed forces. With negative results, according to Robo, who spoke to Al Jazeera Net.

What is happening according to Robo is a merger between tribal militias and Sunni fighters to be the Somali army in central Somalia, which is unacceptable. The Sunni Ahl al-Sunnah is a religious group and the loyalty of its fighters to their religious leaders exceeds their loyalty to the army and government security institutions. Whenever these leaders wish.

The organization of Ahl al-Sunnah and al-Jama'a appeared more willing to work within the Somali military establishment (Al Jazeera Net)

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According to Dr. Hassan al-Basri, the commitment of the Sunni fighters to this principle and compliance with the Sheikh's command strengthens his adherence to the orders dictated by Islamic law and removes him from the behaviors Negative, which is reflected positively on the Somali army and its members and not vice versa.

And the benefits that accrue to the Somali army from the integration of elements of the Sunnis and the group in its ranks more according to the visual, "because of their strong doctrine of combat and high morale and discipline and commitment to the duties and military orders and security, which is not available in many members of the army and government security forces, The Somali army exploited to be able to free areas of control of the youth movement. "

It is noteworthy that the organization of the Sunnis, which includes Sufi methods established as a religious entity in Somalia in the early nineties, but the military wing appeared for the first time in central Somalia in 2008, when he fought a fierce war against the youth movement with the support of Ethiopia, has extended its military activity in southern and western Somalia, including Mogadishu, but its biggest weight is concentrated on the central regions of the country.