“I urge them to avoid anything that may harm others and not to apostatize us,” he told worshipers during the Eid al -Adha prayers at the outskirts of Mogadishu Friday.
Ridah or apostasy is a term Al-Shabab often labels against the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and lately against Hisbul Islam, apparently to discredit their religious standing.
Sheikh Awey’s Hisbul Islam and Al-Shabab clashed over the control of the Lower Jubba region and in particular the southern town of Kismayo, 500kms south of Mogadishu.
His remarks come a time when Al-Shabab is on the verge of capturing all the main towns of the Lower Jubba region from their rivals. Hisbul Islam militias are reportedly regrouping in Dhobley near the border between Somalia and Kenya.
Meanwhile reliable sources tell VOA Somali Service that several Hisbul Islam officials have crossed the border into Kenya.
Aweys admitted that talks with Al-Shabab over solving the crisis stalled.
