Militants from Al-Shabab and Hizbul Islam held a joint news conference at a mosque in Mogadishu on Thursday where they threatened attacks against the African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia’s capital and the countries of Uganda and Burundi. Those countries contribute troops to the AU force.

The merger will help the group increase their attacks against what he Hizbul Islam official Sheik Abdifitah Ali called African mercenaries. The AU force helps protect the small slice of land controlled by the UN and US backed Somali government.