The EIJM establishment followed the merger of various groups during the 1980s, such as the Jabhat Tahrir al-Iritriyya al-Islamiyya al-Wataniyya (The National Eritrean Islamic Liberation Front), the Munzamat al-Ruwwad al-Muslimin al-Iritria (The Organization of Eritrean Pioneer Muslims) and the al-Intifada al-Islamiyya (Islamic Awakening).  The merger of the various groups resulted in a fragmented EIJM coupled with the lack of a unified and effective leadership.