| Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya | |
|---|---|
| الاتحاد الإسلامي | |
 | |
| Leaders | Sheikh Abdullahi Bade[1] Abdulsalam Osman[2] Hassan Dahir Aweys Hassan Turki |
| Dates of operation | 1983[3]–1997 |
| Headquarters | Luuq |
| Active regions | Gedo Region, Somalia and Somali Region, Ethiopia |
| Opponents |  USC SSDF SNF UNOSOM II United States Ethiopia |
Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya (AIAI; Arabic: الاتحاد الإسلامي, lit. 'The Islamic Union') was an Islamist politico-military group in Somalia. Formed in 1983 through a merger of smaller Islamist groups, the organization was the most powerful Islamic movement in the country during the late 80s and early 90s. It also had the most widespread clan following of all the Islamist factions across the nation[4] and professed the aim of creating a Somali Islamic state.[5]
In response to the collapse of the Somali Democratic Republic during 1991, the organization militarized and became involved in several wars with foreign troops and Somali factions.[4] After internal disputes over policy and several military defeats in the late 1990s, AIAI renounced the use of violence and effectively disintegrated in 1997 into other political entities.[6]
- ^ Abdi 2021, p. 150: "Sheikh Abdullahi Bade and Sheikh Abdullahi Sheikh Ahmed Qasim were elected chairman and vice-chairman, respectively.'"
- ^ Abdi 2021, p. 192: "The organizations members quickly regrouped and elected Sheikh Abdulsalam Osman Abdulsalam as the new leader to replace Sheikh Abdullahi Bade.'"
- ^ Abdi 2021, p. 149-150.
- ^ a b Elmi 2010, p. 58-59.
- ^ Elmi 2010, p. 77-78.
- ^ Elmi 2010, p. 70-71.