NAIROBI (Mareeg)—The aging, hardline cleric, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, who leads Hizbul Islam rebel group showed his anger against al Shabaab actions for the first time on Friday.

Addressing to hundreds of people in Elasha Biyaha settlement during the festival of Eidul Ad’ha Sheikh Aweys called for al Shabaab to stop calling his group apostates and added that the fighting between the two groups in Lower Jubba region was not a religious one.

Al shabaab and Hizbul Islam has been fighting in Lower Jubba Region in southern Somalia in recent months struggling for the control of the region.

“We have to abstain from shedding blood and aggressions against each other,” said Sheik Aweys.

He added that negations between the two groups stopped and the fighting was continuing, but he hoped that the negations will start again.

Sheikh Aweys says his group was not attacking al Shabaab, and will stop the fighting when the other group stops.

On the other hand, Sheikh Aweys said the fighting against the government and the African Union troops was different from that between the Islamist rebels.

Al Shabaab and Hizbul Islam have been fighting against the Transitional Federal Government since May this year, but they turned on each other 1 October whey they disputed the control of Kismayo town, the regional capital of Lower Jubba Region.

Mareeg Online