View source for Hassan Dahir Aweys

{{Infobox Person
| name        = Hassan Dahir Aweys <br> حسن طاهر أويس
| image       = 
| imagesize   = 
| caption     = 
| birth_date  = 1935
| birth_place =  [[Somalia]]
| occupation  = former [[colonel]] <br> [[militant]]
| ethnicity = [[Somali people|Somali]]
| nationality = 
| children    = 
| title       = Leader of [[Hizbul Islam]]
}}

'''[[Sheikh]] Hassan Dahir Aweys''' ({{lang-so|''Sheekh Xasan Daahir Aweys''}}, {{lang-ar|الشيخ حسن طاهر أويس}}) (born 1935<ref>[http://www.tkb.org/KeyLeader.jsp?memID=6425 Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys]</ref><ref name="BBC bio">Winter, Joseph, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5120242.stm Profile: Somalia's Islamist leader], BBC News, 27 June 2006</ref>) is a [[Somali people|Somali]] political figure who was the head of the 90-member [[shura]] council of the [[Islamic Courts Union]] (ICU) of [[Somalia]].<ref name="IRIN 260706">[http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54167 SOMALIA: Islamic courts set up consultative council], [[Integrated Regional Information Networks]], 26 June 2006</ref> Aweys was viewed as one of the more radical leaders of the Union, which promoted [[shari'a]] and directed the militias that took control of the Somali capital of [[Mogadishu]] in June 2006. An eight-member executive committee was headed by the more moderate [[Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed|Sharif Ahmed]],<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5113868.stm 'Radical' heads new Somali body], [[BBC News]], 25 June 2006</ref> although the BBC stated that he was the "real power" of the organization.<ref name="BBC bio"/> Aweys resigned from the ICU on December 28, 2006, at the [[end of ICU rule in Mogadishu]]. 

He has been accused of being part of the [[Wahhabi]] movement within Islam, but personally maintains his Sufi background.<ref name=SOMALI-ISLAMIST-LEADER-VAGUE-ON-TERRORISM-IN-INTERVIEW>{{cite news
|title=Somali Islamist leader vague on terrorism in interview
|publisher=afrol News / Awdal News Network
|date=2006-06-09
|url=http://www.afrol.com/articles/19824
|accessdate=2007-01-08}}</ref>. 
He hails from the [[Cayr]] Subclan of the larger [[Habargidir]] clan.

== History ==
During the regime of [[Siad Barre]], Aweys was a colonel in the [[Military of Somalia|Somali National Army (SNA)]] during the 1977 [[Ogaden War]] against [[Ethiopia]]<ref name=RETREAT-FAILS-TO-QUELL-FEARS-OF-LONG-WAR-IN-HORN-OF-AFRICA>{{cite news
|title=Retreat fails to quell fears of long war in Horn of Africa
|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1978770,00.html
|publisher=[[The Guardian]]
|date=2006-12-26
|accessdate=2007-01-08
| location=London
| first=Xan
| last=Rice}}</ref> during which he was decorated for bravery<ref name=>{{cite news
|title=Somalia’s High Stakes Power Struggle
|url=http://www.somalilandtimes.net/sl/2005/238/25.shtml
|publisher=The Council on Foreign Relations
|date=2006-08-07
|accessdate=2007-01-08}}</ref>.

===Al-Itihaad panget al-Islamiya (AIAI)===

{{main|al-Itihaad al-Islamiya}}

In the 1990s, Aweys headed [[al-Itihaad al-Islamiya]] (AIAI)<ref name="BBC profile">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5051588.stm Profile: Somalia's Islamic Courts], [[BBC News]], 6 June 2006</ref>, an [[Islamism|Islamist]] group that was responsible for terrorist attacks on hotels and markets in [[Addis Ababa]], [[Dire Dawa]], [[Jijiga]], and [[Harar]]<ref name= "AddisFortune">{{cite news 
  | title =Ethio-Eritrean Factors in the Somalian Saga
  | publisher =[[Addis Fortune]]
  | date =
  | url =http://www.addisfortune.com/Understanding%20Somalia-6.htm
  | accessdate = 2007-01-15 }}</ref>, and was originally funded by [[al-Qaeda]] leader [[Osama bin Laden]] which was linked to the [[1998 United States embassy bombings]] in [[Kenya]] and [[Tanzania]]<ref name="SF Gate">[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2001/12/16/MN115486.DTL U.S. returning to a nightmare called Somalia], SF Gate, 16 December 2001</ref>.

==1991-1998 Gedo Region War==

Dahir Aweys was part of AIAI leadership which took over large parts of Somalia immediately following the collapse of the Somali Central Government. From 1991 to 1998, AIAI's [[Gedo]] Region branch led by former Somali High Court Judge [http://wardheernews.com/articles/November/13__Alittihad_Sii'arag.html Mohamed Haji Yusuf] maintained formidable forces. Gedo district seats of Lugh, Balad Hawo and Burdubo were all run by IAIA forces. Lugh was entirely governed by AIAI. At the time, there were other regional military authority [[SNF]] running parts of Gedo. Dahir Aweys settled in Lower Shabelle when some disputes came of light in Lugh's Al-Itahad leadership.

On September 18, 1996, Ethiopan army invaded Lugh forced out most of AIAI forces. The following two years, the war front changed into what was later to become the ''Mountains War'' of Gedo. And the war this time was between SNF and AIAI. The Ethiopan regime just armed SNF militias. Ethiopians gave SNF an estimated 800 to 1000 small arms and around dozen heavy weapon. The Gedo war ended when both sided agreed on a truce and general peace when a peace conference held in El Ade on December 1998 was concluded. 

AIAI was destroyed later in the 1990s by a force led by [[Abdullahi Yusuf]] and funded by Ethiopia.<ref name="BBC bio"/>

On November 7, 2001, Aweys was named a 'supporter of terrorism' in a supplement of [[Executive Order 13224]] of [[President of the United States|United States President]] [[George W. Bush]].<ref>[http://www.sec.state.ma.us/sct/sctter/teridx.htm Suspected Terrorist List], list maintained by the U.S. Commonwealth of [[Massachusetts]]</ref>.  Aweys is also on the terrorist list of the [[United States Department of State]]<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13484195/page/2/ Meet the Press] U.S. Senator Russ Feingold calls Aweys "an al-Qaeda operative or somebody that is connected with al-Qaeda."  2006 June 25</ref>. 

When [[Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed]] was elected President in 2004, Aweys declared that he would support the new leader, even if he pursued former elements of al-Itihaad, as long as the country was ruled according to [[Islam]].

===Islamic Courts Union (ICU)===

{{main|Islamic Courts Union|Rise of the Islamic Courts Union (2006)|War in Somalia (2006–2009)}}

After the defeat of [[al-Itihaad al-Islamiya|AIAI]] Aweys played a key role in setting up a system of courts set up according the [[shari'a]] by local businessmen desperate for order, becoming its spiritual head.  The Courts brought relative stability to areas under its control, after years of turmoil. The Courts' notion of order was strict, including [[stoning]]s for serious crimes such as [[rape]] and [[murder]]. At first it only controlled the area of north [[Mogadishu]], but it gained support from many Somalis following the random violence suffered under the warlords who controlled southern Mogadishu. Beginning in about 2004, eleven of these courts folded into an umbrella organization, the [[Islamic Courts Union]], which fielded a formidable militia.  A UN report in early 2006 stated that Aweys was receiving military support from [[Eritrea]], as part of the ongoing conflict between it and Ethiopia, though Eritrea denies the claim<ref name="BBC bio"/>.  

Following the Union's victory in Mogadishu in June 2006, Aweys rose to be the head of the shura committee, replacing [[Sharif Sheik Ahmed]]<ref name=MILITANT-LEADER-EMERGES-IN-SOMALIA>{{cite news
|title= Militant leader emerges in Somalia
|publisher=[[New York Times]]
|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/06/25/news/somalia.php
|date=2006-06-25
|accessdate=2007-01-08
}}</ref>. The Courts' second-in-command Sheikh [[Abdulakdir Ali]] stated day-to-day matters would be handled by [[Sharif Sheikh Ahmed]]'s executive committee<ref name="IRIN 260706"/><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5124068.stm Ethiopia says Somalia 'a threat'], BBC News, 28 June 2006</ref>.

On July 21, 2006, Hassan Aweys, in a radio broadcast, urged holy war on [[Ethiopian]] troops stationed in [[Baidoa]] to support the UN-backed government of Somalia<ref name=>{{cite news
|title=Somali Militant Urges Holy War on Ethiopia
|url=http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/7/21/113509.shtml
|publisher=[[Associated Press]]
|date=2006-07-21
|accessdate=2007-01-15 }}</ref>.

On November 17, 2006, the Sheik spoke to Shabelle Radio about the formation of a [[Greater Somalia]], uniting the Somali people scattered across the Horn of Africa.  He stated, "We will leave no stone unturned to integrate our Somali brothers in Kenya and Ethiopia and restore their freedom to live with their ancestors in Somalia."<ref>[http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20061118-1613-somalia.html Islamic leader says Somali regions in Kenya, Ethiopia should be part of Somalia], [[The San Diego Union-Tribune]], 18 November 2006</ref>. He is wanted by interpol for terrorism charges and there is reward of US$5,000,000 on him and his family 

Regional concern had been heightened since November 2, when the US Embassy in Nairobi issued a terrorist warning of suicide attack threats in Kenya and Ethiopia<ref>{{cite news
|title=Islamic Leader Urges Greater Somalia
|url=http://nazret.com/blog/index.php?title=ethiopia_islamic_leader_urges_greater_so&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 |publisher=[[Associated Press]]
|date=2006-11-18
|accessdate=2007-01-15 }}</ref>.

On December 19, 2006, he received medical treatment in [[Egypt]] just before the beginning of the war against the UN-backed [[Transitional Federal Government]] (TFG) and Ethiopian troops<ref name=WEST-BACKING-WRONG-HORSE>{{cite news
|title=West ‘backing the wrong horse’ in Mogadishu peace initiatives 
|url=http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/News/news2901200710.htm
|date=2007-01-29
|accessdate=2007-01-29
|publisher=[[The East African]] }}</ref>.

On December 21, 2006, as the fighting intensified with Ethiopia, he took a flight to an undisclosed location with [[Yusuf Mohammed Siad Inda'ade]], and, rather than news of medical treatment, it was said he was on the ''[[hajj]]''<ref name=SOMALIA-TOP-ISLAMIST-OFFICIALS-LEAVE-FOR-UNKNOWN-DESTINATION>{{cite news
|title=Somalia: Top Islamist officials leave for unknown destination
|url=http://somalinet.com/news/world/Somalia/6032
|publisher=[[SomaliNet]]
|date=2006-12-21
|accessdate=2007-01-08 }}</ref>.

On December 27, 2006, Aweys, along with a group of several hundred fighters from the [[Hizbul Shabaab]] wing of the ICU fled [[Mogadishu]], presumably to the former AIAI base at [[Ras Kamboni]]<ref name=FORMER-MEMBERS-OF-RADICAL-SOMALI-GROUP-GIVE-DETAILS-OF-THEIR-GROUP>{{cite news
|title=Former Members of Radical Somali Group Give Details of Their Group
|url=http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-01-06-voa25.cfm
|publisher=[[Voice of America]]
|date=2007-01-06
|accessdate=2007-01-08}}</ref>. On December 31, 2006, he  vowed to fight on, and called for others to create an insurgency against the government. Meanwhile, a heavily armed column of government and Ethiopian troops advanced from Mogadishu through Lower Shabelle towards Kismayo. They reached Bulo Marer (Kurtun Warrey district) and were heading to Baravo<ref name=ISLAMISTS-VOW-A-REBELLIOUS-WAR>{{cite news 
  | first=Aweys Osman 
  | last=Yusuf 
  | title =Islamists vow a rebellious war as Ethiopian troops head to Kismayu
  | publisher =shabelle.net
  | date =2006-12-31
  | url =http://www.shabelle.net/news/ne1960.htm
  | accessdate = 2007-01-05 }}</ref>.

In January 2007, his whereabouts remained generally unknown, but it was believed he was ailing<ref name="WEST-BACKING-WRONG-HORSE"/>.

===Alliance for the Liberation of Somalia===
{{main|Alliance for the Liberation of Somalia}}
In September 2007, he emerged in [[Eritrea]], forming a new rebel movement.

On 23 April 2009, Aweys returned To Somalia declaring a war on the African Peace Keeping Forces [[AMISOM]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/265631,prominent-islamist-returns-to-somalia-after-two-year-exile.html|title=Prominent Islamist returns to Somalia after two-year exile|date=2009-04-23|accessdate=2009-05-01|author= DPA}}</ref>.
He made clear that he would not meet [[Somalia|Somali]] [[President]] sheikh [[Sharif Ahmed]] saying:
<blockquote>"Mr Sharif's government was not elected by the Somali people and it is not representing the interests the Somali people,"
<ref name="kingmaker">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8020548.stm|title=Somalia's kingmaker returns|date=2009-04-28|accessdate=2009-05-04 | work=BBC News}}</ref></blockquote>
He also accused the President of being an instrument of the [[International Community]] and reliable sources say that Mr Aweys is talking to the leadership of the [[Al-Shabaab (Somalia)|al-Shabaab]] Islamist radicals and other Islamist groups, including the newly formed umbrella organisation Hisbul Islam or Islamic Party<ref name="kingmaker"/>.

On 9 May 2009, Hassan Dahir Aways' Group (Hisbul Islam) with al-Shabaab and other allies tried to topple the Government of President Shiikh Shariif Shiikh Ahmed in a coup attempt but failed<ref name="unique">
{{cite web
|url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gFz49kXW-xr8DGq5w3550pJ_rAPg
|title=UN Somalia envoy accuses Islamist of coup attempt
|date=2009-05-14
|accessdate=2009-05-18
}}
</ref>.

Mogadishu residents reported that they saw foreign fighters in the frontline of the battle for the first raising concerns that Somalia may become the next terrorist safe haven after Iraq and Afghanistan <ref name="unique">
{{cite web
|url=http://www.garoweonline.com/artman2/publish/Somalia_27/Somalia_Foreign_fighters_are_our_Muslim_brothers_Al_Shabaab.shtml
|title=Foreign fighters are 'our Muslim brothers': Al Shabaab
|date=2009-05-12
|accessdate=2009-05-18
}}
</ref>.

==References==
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==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5120242.stm Profile: Somalia's Islamist leader]
{{Shabaab}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aweys, Hassan}}
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Counter-terrorism policy of the United States]]
[[Category:National liberation movements]]
[[Category:Somali Muslims]]
[[Category:Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia politicians]]
[[Category:Hizbul Islam politicians]]

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