Somalia: Kismayo Dispute Among Islamists Deepens

Kismayo — A crisis over control of an important port city in southern Somalia has deepened after Islamist fighters divided along political lines, Radio Garowe reports.

Independent sources in the port city of Kismayo, 500km south of the Somali capital Mogadishu, reported that Al Shabaab hardliners have ordered that only "fighters loyal to Al Shabaab" can be armed inside Kismayo.

"Fighters for Ras Kambani Brigade and Anole have withdraw from the city [Kismayo] and there are military preparations going on in many neighboring districts," said a Kismayo resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for security reasons.

He noted that the withdrawn Islamist fighters are regrouping in parts of Lower Jubba region, including Afmadow and Dhobley districts.

The dispute between Al Shabaab and the other Islamist factions deepened after Al Shabaab rulers threatened to burn down a radio station rival Islamists wanted to open in Kismayo, the sources added.

Currently, Al Shabaab-owned Radio Al-Andulus is the only radio station on air in Kismayo. The Islamist faction shut down the independent radio stations HornAfrik and Jubba earlier this year.

Sheikh Hassan Yakub, spokesman for Al Shabaab rulers in Kismayo, declined to comment on new developments during brief comments to reporters on Thursday.

But he underlined that Al Shabaaab "will not tolerate" any armed group inside Kismayo, while threatening to "overrun" any group that attempts to attack the strategic port city.

Kismayo was seized in Aug. 2008 by a coalition of clan militias and Islamist groups, including Al Shabaab, Ras Kamboni Brigade and Anole.

In Feb. 2009, Ras Kamboni and Anole merged with two other Islamist factions in southern Somalia to form Hizbul Islam as a common front to fight against Somalia's UN-backed Transitional Federal Government.

Last month, Sheikh Yakub rejected media reports and local speculation that Islamist factions were entangled in a dispute over the control of Kismayo, a city with an international airport and a port facility along the Indian Ocean coastline.

Source: allAfrica.
Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/200909110004.html.