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Somalia's al Shabaab rebels declare war on rivals
Somalia's al Shabaab rebels said on Wednesday they would fight rival Hizbul Islam militants for control of the southern port of Kismayu, and residents said the insurgents had started digging trenches. Relations between al Shabaab and one-time allies Hizbul Islam degenerated last week after al Shabaab named its own local council to run Kismayu, excluding Hizbul members. Until then, the two groups had controlled the port in an uneasy coalition.Last Thursday, a Hizbul leader said they would not recognise the new administration, and both sides rushed in reinforcements. "We have decided to fight the group that invaded our town. It is jihad," Sheikh Hassan Yaqub, the al Shabaab spokesman, told reporters in Kismayu. "This group has brought back all the evil acts we banned: killing, looting, drugs, unveiled women. Instead of fighting the infidels ... they came to destroy our Islamic authority." "Residents should stop hesitating," Yaqub said. "They should follow us and join the jihad. Otherwise, let them join Hizbul Islam and we will fight them all. Posted by: ryuge 2009-09-30 |
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