VZCZCXRO0764
OO RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNR #1444 1891550
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 081550Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0271
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA  IMMEDIATE
RUZEFAA/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE IMMEDIATE
RUZEFAA/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE IMMEDIATE
RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L NAIROBI 001444 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/E AND A/S CARSON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2019 
TAGS: PGOV MOPS PTER PMAR SO
SUBJECT: SOMALIA - JUBA RESISTANCE MOVEMENT WANTS TO 
COORDINATE WITH THE TFG 
 
Classified By: Pol Counselor Bob Patterson for reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C)  On July 7 we met with Transitional Federal 
Government (TFG) parliamentarian and Juba Resistance Movement 
(JRM) leader Mohammed Amin Osman. (Note:The JRM is a loose 
alliance of local leaders in the Jubas who advocate for the 
creation of a local Jubaland administration and claim to be 
able to galvanize various subclan militia against the 
al-Shabaab. End note.) Osman, a useful, long-time Somalia 
Unit and USAID contact, briefed us on JRM's efforts to 
organize a military force to challenge al-Shabaab and the Ras 
Kamboni group. (Note:  The Ras Kamboni group, led by Hassan 
al-Turki, is allied with Hisbul-Islam and working to 
overthrow the TFG. End note.) Osman explained that 
dissatisfaction with Muslim extremists was rising in Middle 
and Lower Juba regions, prompting several clan militia 
commanders to volunteer to fight al-Shabaab.  We will report 
the commanders names and their clans when available. 
 
¶2. (C) Osman said the JRM and TFG leaders, including Defense 
Minister Ghandi, Finance Minister Sheikh Hassan, and late 
Security Minister Omar Hashi have discussed military 
coordination in the past, but those talks had broken down 
over the TFG's efforts to appoint TFG administrations in the 
Jubas and TFG interest in bringing Ras Kamboni commander 
Ibrahim Shukri into the government. (Note:  The JRM political 
agenda includes forming popularly chosen administrations. TFG 
efforts to install administrators from Mogadishu, some of 
whom have worked closely with Ethiopia in the past, were a 
clear source of frustration for Osman.  He was skeptical 
about working with Shukri, even though Shukri is reportedly 
willing to defect from the Ras Kamboni group and challenge 
al-Shabaab with his powerful Darood/Mohamed Zubeir militia. 
The Mohamed Zubeir are currently the most militarily powerful 
subclan in the region.  End Note).  Nonetheless, the JRM 
believes cooperation with the TFG is necessary to defeat 
al-Shabaab. He said he is asking the AU, the UN Political 
Office for Somalia, the Kenyan government, the UK High 
Commission and Post to press the TFG to coordinate with the 
JRM. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Oman told us JRM allied militias had successfully 
sparred with al-Shabaab in recent months, costing al-Shabaab 
influence in the regions' rural areas and causing al-Shabaab 
to seek a truce.  Osman said JRM military commanders have 
small 30-40-man standing militias but clan leaders can 
deliver hundreds more when needed. 
 
¶4.  (C)  Comment:  We will continue to gather information on 
the JRM, its capabilities, goals, and its relations with the 
TFG and other leaders willing to confront al-Shabaab in the 
Jubas. End Comment. 
 
 
 
 
 
SLUTZ