Ahmed Abu Risha

Abu Risha joined forces with other pro-Sunni protest and pro-Federalism groups, joining the Uniters List for the 2013 Anbar governorate election. The List was the most successful single party, although lost seats when compared to how the composite members fared in the 2009 election. Although he supports the protest movement, Abu Risha opposes the creation of a Sunni Federal region similar to that of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Abu Risha's tense relationship with Nour al-Maliki and support for the protest movement led to the Iraqi government supporting the re-election of the Sahwa leadership in February 2013. Sheikh Wissam al-Hardan was then elected over Abu Risha, in a re-election Abu Risha condemned as being imposed by the government.

Abu Risha has been supportive of the 2012–2013 Iraqi protests. Following the killing of 5 rock throwing demonstrators by Iraqi soldiers in January 2013, Abu Risha read a statement at Fallujah's main square announcing that tribal leaders had given the government one week to bring the perpetrators of the shooting to justice. Abu Risha claimed that if this demand was not met then he promised to "launch jihad against army units and posts in Anbar". In response the Iraqi government removed his protective detail in late January 2013, although Anbar tribes offered to ensure his security instead.

The Alliance went on to fare poorly at the 2010 parliamentary election, winning only 2.66% of the vote, and 4 seats. The Alliance seemed to lose most votes to the Iraqi National Movement, led by Ayad Allawi. The Alliance's poor showing has been blamed on the Awakening Movements failure to deliver rapid economic improvements, and of Sunni Arab's turning away from the party due to Abu Risha's closeness to Nour al-Maliki prior to the election.

In 2010 Abu Risha described the Sahwa, of which he is a major leader, as transitioning from the original armed movement that had fought al-Qaeda into a secular and liberal political movement that respects all religions and freedoms.

The Iraq Awakening and Independents National Alliance, a political coalition led by Abu Risha, was the most successful political coalition in the 2009 Anbar governorate election, winning 8 of 29 seats.

On 13 September 2007, his brother Abdul Sattar Buzaigh al-Rishawi was killed along with two of his bodyguards by a roadside bomb near his home in Ramadi, Anbar, Iraq. Sheik Ahmed was selected to take over as leader of the Anbar Salvation Council by the Sheiks of Anbar province. The Sheik met with President Barack Obama both before and after the 2008 Presidential Election. As of November 2008, Abu Risha had a newspaper entitled Sahwat al-Iraq (Iraq's Awakening).

Abu Risha was born in 1969 and is three years older than his brother Abdul Sattar Buzaigh al-Rishawi. He is a member of the Dulaim tribe.