Union of Islamic Courts
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Midowga Maxkamadaha Islaamiga (Somali) اتحاد المحاكم الإسلامية (Arabic) Ittihād al-mahākim al-islāmiyya |
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Motto "There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is the messenger of God" (Shahada) |
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| Capital | Mogadishu | |||||||||||||||||
| Government | Sharia kritarchy | |||||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||||
| • | Declared | 6 June 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| • | Abandoned | 27 December 2006 | ||||||||||||||||
| Currency | Somali shilling | |||||||||||||||||
| Internet TLD | .so | |||||||||||||||||
| Calling code | +252 | |||||||||||||||||
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The Islamic Courts Union (ICU; Somali: Midowga Maxkamadaha Islaamiga; Arabic: اتحاد المحاكم الإسلامية Ittihād al-mahākim al-islāmiyya) was a group of Sharia courts that united themselves to form a rival administration to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia, with Sharif Sheikh Ahmed as their head. They were also known as the Joint Islamic Courts, Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), Supreme Islamic Courts Council (SICC) or the Supreme Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC). Western media often refer to the group as Somali Islamists.
Until the end of 2006, they controlled most of southern Somalia and the vast majority of its population, including most major cities such as Jowhar, Kismayo, Beledweyne, and the capital Mogadishu. The ICU was supported by warlord Yusuf "Indho Ade" Mohamed Siad who ruled Lower Shabelle but later became defense chief of the ICU, who aided in the defeat of the Mogadishu warlords. Only the Northern regions (Puntland, Somaliland), and the furthest interior regions of the south were outside their control. In December 2006, the ICU lost much territory after defeats at the battles of Baidoa, Bandiradley, and Beledweyne, retreating to the capital, Mogadishu. On 28 December they abandoned Mogadishu, leaving the city in chaos while they moved south towards Kismayo, which allowed the TFG and Ethiopian troops to take over the city. After a stand at the Battle of Jilib, the ICU abandoned the city of Kismayo on 1 January 2007. Stripped of almost all their territory, it was speculated the ICU would pursue guerrilla-style warfare against the government.
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Wikipedia