Sharif Ahmed

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Chairman of the ICU, Sharif Ahmed.

Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed (Somali: Sheekh Shariif Sheekh Axmed; born July 25, 1964) is the leader of the Islamic Court Union (ICU), which currently controls Somalia's capital of Mogadishu.

Ahmed was born in Chabila, 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. He first became involved in the ICU when he was elected to head a small local court in Jowhar. However, when the warlords overran that town he fled to Mogadishu and returned to teaching. 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 even marked a turning point in the life of Sheikh Sharif Ahmad and his involvement in the ICU started after the kidnapping of the student which led him to campaign for his release. He is the most senior official in the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) which captured a swathe of south-central Somalia early 2006 in direct challenge to the government of interim President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed. ^[1]

On June 2, 2006 Ahmed spoke to a crowd at an Islamic rally in Mogadishu, stating that "We know the enemy of Islam, particularly the U.S. government, is funding the evil alliance". ^[2] This came amid suspicion that the United States was backing Somalia's secular warlords under the Alliance for the Restoration of Peace and Counter-Terrorism.

Three days later on June 5, Sharif Ahmed declared that the ICU had taken full control over Mogadishu. ^[3] The ascension of an Islamic group in Somalia led some Western governments to fear that Somalia could become a base for foreign Islamic terrorists, especially al-Qaeda. Yet the ICU has denied that it shelters al-Qaeda terrorists, and Ahmed has claimed that the only goal of the ICU it to "give power back to the Somali people so it can make its own decisions and decide its own destiny".^[4]

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In an interview with Reuters and the BBC on September 9, 2006, he suggested his delegation would seek Libyan help in bringing about a rapprochement between the Islamists and the fragile Somali interim government. They might talk to the African leaders about participating in the prevention of Intergovernmental Authority on Development forces intervening in Somali affairs, referring to the IGAD, a peace mediation body made up of several east African nations. In addition they might demand from IGAD states not to have international forces intervene in Somalia. Sharif and several colleagues are in Libya's Sirte town for an AU ceremony later September 9, 2006, marking the seventh anniversary of a summit of African leaders that decided to set up the AU and set out a timetable for doing so. He said Ethiopia had been hostile to Somalia for more than 500 years. He reiterated a longstanding Islamist accusation that Ethiopian forces were intervening in Somalia. Ethiopia denies any of its troops are fighting in Somalia. Sheikh Sharif added his delegation might take the opportunity to make contacts among African leaders at the AU event that would help advance reconciliation in Somalia. He said that Libya is the host and the most important element .^[1]