Greater Somalia War, the vision of uniting the various historically and predominantly Somali-inhabited areas of the Horn of Africa into a Greater Somalia was temporarily sidelined. Thousands of refugees have been granted political asylum in Kenya. Talk of pan-Somali unification movements for the moment took a backseat, as the Republic splintered into a few autonomous smaller regional or clan-based governing zones. The government of the secessionist region of Somaliland in northwestern Somalia has consistently attempted to break away from the Somali Republic and launched an unsuccessful though persistent campaign to seek recognition from international organizations and countries. Somaliland further clashed with Puntland
2009 timeline of the War in Somalia a four-party Islamist group called Hizbul Ismal leaving only Al Shabaab and foreign Mujahedeen as the enemies of the Transitional Government. From today, the government of Somalia will be run by Sharia law. In Somaliland an Islamic cleric aged 80 was killed in the capital of the semi-separatist region. Fighting in north-eastern province of Puntland resulted in the deaths of two militiamen and two civilians after two different clan militias fought it out in a small village. An Iman in the southern city of Gelkcayo was shot and killed by Al Shabaab gunmen. Al Shabaab militants attacked Au peacekeepers in