Sharif Ahmed
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| Sharif Ahmed (Arabic: الشيخ شريف شيخ أحمد) |
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|---|---|
| July 25, 1964 | |
| Nickname | Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed |
| Place of birth |  - Chabila, Somalia[1] |
| Allegiance |  - Somali Council of Islamic Courts |
| Years of service | 2003–present |
| Rank | Commander-in-chief |
| Battles/wars | Rise of the ICU (2006) Ethiopian intervention (2006–present) 2007 timeline of the War in Somalia |
Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed (Somali: Sheekh Shariif Sheekh Axmed; Arabic: الشيخ شريف شيخ أحمد ; born July 25, 1964) is a member of the Islamic Court Union (ICU), which controlled Somalia's capital of Mogadishu and much of south and central Somalia until the war in Somalia. Ahmed was born in Shabeellaha Dhexe province, Somalia, and studied at Libyan and Sudanese universities. He is from the Abgaal branch of the Hawiye clan. He has also worked as a secondary school teacher of geography, Arabic, and religious studies. He speaks Arabic, Somali, and English.
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[edit] Islamic Courts Union
He first became involved in the ICU when he was elected to head a small local court in Jowhar. A few years later, a local gang in Mogadishu kidnapped a young student and demanded a ransom from his family in return for releasing their son. This incident was one of countless other kidnappings and killings perpetrated by armed groups in the Somali capital who exploited the disintegration of the central government. This event marked a turning point in the life of Sheikh Sharif Ahmad and his further involvement in the ICU.[2]
In 2004, Sheikh Sharif became one the leading figures in the Islamic courts in the capital. His closest friends and allies include Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, one of the founders of Islamic courts in Somalia and Aden Hashi Farah "Eyrow" whom Washington blames for having connection with Al-Qaeda network and fought in Afghanistan in 2001. [3]
On September 9, 2006, Sharif and several colleagues were in Sirte, Libya for an AU ceremony marking the seventh anniversary of a summit of African leaders. In an interview with Reuters and the BBC, he suggested his delegation would seek the help of Libya and other African nations to bring about a rapprochement between the Islamists and the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG). He said Ethiopia had been hostile to Somalia for more than 500 years and reiterated a longstanding Islamist accusation that Ethiopian forces were intervening in Somalia. Ethiopia denied any of its troops were fighting in Somalia. However, arrangements for an Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)-led peacekeeping force did not materialize.[4]
[edit] ICU falls
On December 28, 2006, after the defeat of the ICU's army, he committed himself to fighting the Ethopian forces in Somalia. After the ICU's defeat in the Battle of Jilib and their abandonment of Kismayo, he fled towards the Kenyan border.
He was detained, with three other Somalis, by Kenyan police on January 21, 2007 near the Hulugo border. He met the US Ambassador to Kenya for talks regarding cooperation with the TFG. He is currently under the protection of Kenyan authorities and staying at a hotel in Nairobi.[5][6]
[edit] Capture of American soldiers
On February 1, 2007, the captured ICU leader Sharif Ahmed was released from Kenyan police authorities.[7] He also was reported to have met with Michael Ranneberger, U.S. Envoy to Kenya and Somalia, allegedly to arrange for the release of the captured U.S. troops.[8] By February 8, Sheikh Sharif Sheik Ahmed had gone to Yemen where other ICU members are thought to have also gone.[9] On that day, reports in the Yememi Arabic newspaper Al-nedaa stated Sharif Ahmed's release was the first conditional step to arrange the release of varying reports of 11 or, now, 15 United States Marines allegedly captured during fighting in southern Somalia at the Battle of Ras Kamboni. Four Marines were also alleged to have been wounded in the fighting.[10][11] However, while these stories of captured American soldiers were prevalent in Somali media, they received little or no attention in the Western media. The capture of U.S. troops had been reported earlier on January 21 by the ICU's Qaadisiya.com site, but denied as "utterly bogus" by Michael Ranneberger.[12]
[edit] Family
Before fleeing Sheikh Sharif lived with his wife and two children, Ahmad, aged 9 and Abdullah, who is a toddler, in a modest house in Mogadishu .[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Khaled Mahmoud (17/05/2006). Interview with Head of Somalia's Islamic courts organization Sheikh Sharif Ahmad (HTML). sundaytelegraph. Retrieved on 2007-08-03.
- ^ "Mogadishu's modest Islamic leader", BBC, 2006-06-12. Retrieved on 2007-01-17.
- ^ Mohamed Abdi Farah - Somalia correspondent (Wed June 14, 2006]). The profile of Islamic courts leader Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed (HTML). somalinet. Retrieved on 2007-08-03.
- ^ Somali Islamists to ask AU to end peace force plan, Reuters, September 9, 2006
- ^ Top Islamist arrested on Kenya-Somalia border. The East African Standard (2007-01-21). Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
- ^ "Top Somali Islamist surrenders in Kenya", AFP, 2007-01-22. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
- ^ "Somali Islamist leader out of Kenyan custody", Reuters, 2007-02-01. Retrieved on 2007-02-01.
- ^ "US diplomat bids the release of 11 US soldiers seized in Somalia", Shabelle Media Network, 2007-02-01.
- ^ "Somali Islamist travels to Yemen", BBC, 2007-02-08. Retrieved on [[2007-02-08]].
- ^ "Somalia: The story of US captives in Somalia gains weight", 2007-02-08. Retrieved on 2007-02-09.
- ^ "The Release of 15 US soldiers in southern Somalia underway--Yemen paper", Shabelle Media Network, 2007-02-08. Retrieved on 2007-02-09.
- ^ "U.S. has ground troops in southern Somalia: Journalist", Garowe Online, 2007-01-21. Retrieved on 2007-02-29.
