Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia
Encyclopedia
Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) is an organization created in September 2007 when Somali Islamists and opposition leaders meeting in Asmara
, the capital of Eritrea
, joined forces to fight the Transitional Federal Government and the occupation of Somalia by Ethiopian forces.
Roughly 400 delegates, including former Islamic Courts Union Shura chairman Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, ICU Executive chairman Sharif Sheikh Ahmad former TFG Speaker of Parliament Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden
and the former TFG Deputy Prime Minister Hussein Mohamed Farrah
, have approved a constitution and central committee. It aims to remove the Ethiopian-backed government by negotiation - or war.
The Alliance has a 191 member Central Committee chaired by Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden
, and a 10 member Executive Committee chaired by Sharif Sheikh Ahmad. Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys explicitly stated he did not hold any formal position in the alliance.
Islamists hold 45% of the seats, ex-MPs hold 25%, and the rest of the seats are held by representatives of the diaspora and civil society.
In May 2008 the Alliance suffered internal splits and in-fighting between the hard-core and the moderate islamists over the holding of peace talks with the official Somalian government.
(TFG) and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) participated in a peace conference in Djibouti between May 31 and June 9, 2008. This was mediated by the United Nations Special Envoy to Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah. The conference ended with the announcement on June 9, 2008 that they have signed an 11-point peace agreement paving the way for "the cessation of all armed confrontation" across Somalia. The peace agreement called for a 90-day ceasefire and set a withdrawal timetable for the Ethiopian troops protecting the TFG. According to the agreement, the two sides agreed to terminate "all acts of armed confrontation" and to "request the United Nations...to authorize and deploy an international stabilization force from countries that are friends of Somalia" excluding the neighboring countries. The peace pact also called for the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops present in Somalia within a period of 120 days of the signing of this agreement. Both Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein
and ARS Chairman Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad welcomed the peace agreement as a "historic opportunity" to end Somalia's long conflict. But Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys rejected the agreement. According to him, "no one authorized" the ARS delegates to participate at the Djibouti conference.
Asmara
Asmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...
, the capital of Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
, joined forces to fight the Transitional Federal Government and the occupation of Somalia by Ethiopian forces.
Roughly 400 delegates, including former Islamic Courts Union Shura chairman Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, ICU Executive chairman Sharif Sheikh Ahmad former TFG Speaker of Parliament Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden
Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden
Sheikh Sharif Hassan Adan is a Somali politician. He is a former Finance Minister of Somalia, and the current Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament...
and the former TFG Deputy Prime Minister Hussein Mohamed Farrah
Hussein Mohamed Farrah
Hussein Mohamed Farrah Aidid , is a United States Marine Corps veteran and a former president of Somalia. He is the son of General Mohamed Farrah Aidid.-Biography:...
, have approved a constitution and central committee. It aims to remove the Ethiopian-backed government by negotiation - or war.
The Alliance has a 191 member Central Committee chaired by Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden
Sharif Hassan Sheikh Aden
Sheikh Sharif Hassan Adan is a Somali politician. He is a former Finance Minister of Somalia, and the current Speaker of the Transitional Federal Parliament...
, and a 10 member Executive Committee chaired by Sharif Sheikh Ahmad. Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys explicitly stated he did not hold any formal position in the alliance.
Islamists hold 45% of the seats, ex-MPs hold 25%, and the rest of the seats are held by representatives of the diaspora and civil society.
In May 2008 the Alliance suffered internal splits and in-fighting between the hard-core and the moderate islamists over the holding of peace talks with the official Somalian government.
The Djibouti peace agreement
The representatives of Somalia's Transitional Federal GovernmentTransitional Federal Government
The Transitional Federal Government is the current internationally recognized government of the Republic of Somalia. It was established as one of the Transitional Federal Institutions of government as defined in the Transitional Federal Charter adopted in November 2004 by the Transitional...
(TFG) and the Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS) participated in a peace conference in Djibouti between May 31 and June 9, 2008. This was mediated by the United Nations Special Envoy to Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah. The conference ended with the announcement on June 9, 2008 that they have signed an 11-point peace agreement paving the way for "the cessation of all armed confrontation" across Somalia. The peace agreement called for a 90-day ceasefire and set a withdrawal timetable for the Ethiopian troops protecting the TFG. According to the agreement, the two sides agreed to terminate "all acts of armed confrontation" and to "request the United Nations...to authorize and deploy an international stabilization force from countries that are friends of Somalia" excluding the neighboring countries. The peace pact also called for the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops present in Somalia within a period of 120 days of the signing of this agreement. Both Somali Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein
Nur Hassan Hussein
Nur Hassan Hussein Adde , was the Prime Minister of Somalia from November 2007 to February 2009. He is from Mogadishu and is part of the Abgaal sub-clan of the Hawiye.-Early career:...
and ARS Chairman Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad welcomed the peace agreement as a "historic opportunity" to end Somalia's long conflict. But Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys rejected the agreement. According to him, "no one authorized" the ARS delegates to participate at the Djibouti conference.