Pro-Government Militias
Ahlu Sunnah wal Jama'a (Somalia)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 608 |
| Country: | Somalia |
| Date formed: | March 15, 2010 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | day |
| Details of Formation: | Ahlu Sunnah wal Jama’a was created in 1991 to protect Sufi Muslims from religious extremists. In 2008, it became an armed group to defend itself against Al-Shabab attacks. In 2010, the militia signed a power-sharing agreement with the transitional federal government and promised to support the regular forces in anti-Al-Shabab attacks. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group? | yes |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | 894 |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | no | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | no |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | plunder and loot; Foreign government; villagers |
| State Sponsor(s): | Ethiopia |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | religious; children |
| Primary Membership: | religious |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | central and southern Somalia |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, 4500] |
| Target(s): | rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; regular military force |
| Purpose(s): | self-defense and security; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The name means "the people of the tradition of Prophet Muhammad". |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The militia was created in 1991 to protect Sufi Muslims in Somalia, but became an armed group in 2008 when it began to target Al-Shabab militants after their attack on Sufi shrines. When the Federal Government of Somalia took power, the government used the militia to attack Al-Shabab militants. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | There are reports that indiscriminate attacks targeted at civilians by militia members led to an escalation of violence. This behavior was supported by the regular armed forces and the government. (Amnesty 2015) |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing; sexual violence |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no |
| Reasons for Membership: | The militiamen are Sufi Muslims who joined the group to fight Sufi Al-Shabab and Al-Ittihad-Al-Islamiya militants. In contrast to the regular armed forces, militiamen received no benefits from the government. |
| PGM Members Killed? | sometimes |
PGM Size
| Size: | For the year 2011, 4,500 militia members were reported. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The Somalian government provided the militia with weapons, while Ethiopian forces provided training for the group. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | Until his death, Yusuf Heefow was the head of the militia. The militia has an executive committee. The PGM carried out joint operations with the regular armed forces and Kenyan troops. In December 2012, the interior ministry officially took control of the militia. In 2012 and 2013, the government tried to integrate the militia into the regular army, but did not succeed. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.