VZCZCXRO7437
OO RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNR #5406 0021107
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 021107Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6274
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA  IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE

S E C R E T NAIROBI 005406 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/RSA, AND A/S FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/02/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER ASEC MOPS SO ET KE
SUBJECT: "CORRECTED COPY TO INCLUDE PARAGRAPH 
CLASSIFICATION" SOMALIA - SHEIKH SHARIF AND THE FUTURE ROLE 
OF ISLAMIC COURTS MODERATES 
 
REF: NAIROBI 05403 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Ranneberger for reasons 1.4 (b,d) 
 
 ¶1. (S) Although Sheikh Sharif, the head of the Islamic 
Courts, executive branch has sometimes made harsh public 
statements, he is considered by most knowledgeable observers 
to be a moderate (the Ambassador took away that impression 
from his late August 2006 meeting with Sharif).  Sharif is a 
respected and influential figure within Somalia and someone 
who could presumably contribute to dialogue and support for a 
broad-based national government.  Sharif,s close 
relationship with TFG Parliament Speaker Hassan could be 
helpful in that context.  (Interestingly, Hassan said that 
TFG PM Gedi and Sharif are close relatives, although this was 
probably metaphorical since they are of different clans.) 
 
¶2. (S) While the Ambassador had made clear that channels were 
open for future contact, Sharif never followed up on the 
August meeting.  The reason is likely that he lacked the 
authority to produce from the Islamic Courts, radicals what 
we requested in terms of action against terrorists. 
 
¶3. (S) After consultation with Washington, the Ambassador 
managed to reach Sharif by phone in Kismayo on December 31. 
Islamic Courts, Foreign Minister Addow participated in the 
call from the Ambassador,s residence.  The Ambassador told 
Sharif that it was the U.S. view that he could play an 
important role in helping to promote peace and stability in 
Somalia.  He indicated that the U.S. was prepared to 
recommend that Kenya help bring him to Nairobi if he were 
prepared to give his commitment that he was willing to work 
to support peace and stability in Somalia based on the TFG 
Charter and the TFIs and to reject terrorism (he had already 
made the latter position clear in his August discussion with 
the Ambassador).  Sharif expressed appreciation for the 
Ambassador,s efforts.  Sharif said that he wanted to be part 
of the future of Somalia, but said that he could not leave 
Kismayo given that fighting had already begun. 
 
¶4. (S) Interestingly, TFG Speaker Hassan told the Ambassador 
January 1 that he spoke with Sharif following the 
Ambassador,s conversation with Sharif.  Sharif told Hassan 
that he wanted to accept the offer to come to Nairobi, but 
that he could not.  The presence of hardline members of the 
Islamic Courts in the room when Sharif was speaking to the 
Ambassador prevented him from having a frank discussion. 
Sharif later told Hassan that he used the U.S. discussion 
with him to argue that the possibility was still open for the 
Courts to play a role in the future of Somalia, but that 
further violence would have to be avoided, and that this 
accounted for the only very limited resistence in the Kismayo 
area.  (Trying to turn what was a rout into political capital 
with us certainly calls into question Sharif,s credibility.) 
 
¶5. (S) Sharif is presumably now in flight somewhere in 
southern Somalia near the Kenyan border.  It remains to be 
seen whether he will try to disengage himself from likely 
hardline elements he is with, seek to get across the border, 
and seek to play a constructive role in building Somalia,s 
future.  Hassan said that he is trying to get into contact 
with Sharif via a Thuraya phone.  The Ambassador told Hassan 
that, while Sharif,s failure to seize the opportunity on the 
31st smacked of deliberate obfuscation, the channels are 
still open for discussion with him on the same terms. 
RANNEBERGER