Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ADDISABABA1442
2009-06-19 05:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Addis Ababa
Cable title:
SOMALIA: ASWJ SAYS REACHED BREAKTHROUGH WITH TFG
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 001442
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2019
TAGS: PREL MOPS KPKO SO ET
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: ASWJ SAYS REACHED BREAKTHROUGH WITH TFG
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Ted Harkema. Reasons: 1.4 (B
) AND (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 001442
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2019
TAGS: PREL MOPS KPKO SO ET
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: ASWJ SAYS REACHED BREAKTHROUGH WITH TFG
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Ted Harkema. Reasons: 1.4 (B
) AND (D).
1. (C) Summary. Alhu Sunnah Wal Jammah (ASWJ) leadership
council member Mahdi Dahir Sheikh Nur told PolOff on June 18
that ASWJ and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) Prime
Minister Sharmarke had reached an agreement "in principle" to
form a military alliance against al-Shabaab and Hisb Islam.
Contrary to recent press reports, Mahdi said there was, as of
yet, no cooperation between TFG and ASWJ field commanders.
He also stated all ASWJ militias would now settle into a
completely defensive posture to prepare for expected attacks
by al-Shabaab and Hisb Islam following the death of TFG
Minister of Security Omar Hashi. End Summary.
ASWJ and TFG Reach an Agreement "In Principle"
-------------- -
2. (C) Mahdi told PolOff on June 18 that several members of
the ASWJ leadership council had recently left Addis Ababa and
flown to Nairobi for talks with TFG PM Sharmarke, and that
the two sides had outlined an alliance agreement that was now
awaiting approval by TFG President Sheikh Sharif and TFG
Deputy Prime Minister Sharif Hassan. The agreement was for a
military alliance where ASWJ would keep its separate identity
but fight alongside TFG forces. ASWJ agreed to postpone
political powersharing talks until after al-Shabaab and Hisb
Islam were defeated, and the TFG agreed to share military
resources. ASWJ was cautious, however, and questioned
whether Sharif Hassan would support the agreement, noting
that they continued to view him with mistrust. Mahdi also
noted that Sharmarke had apologized for his government's
recent attempts to undermine ASWJ by forming an alternative
ASWJ organization in Mogadishu.
No Alliance Yet, Press Reports are Propaganda
--------------
3. (C) Mahdi said recent press reports that ASWJ and TFG
commanders in central Somalia had formed an alliance earlier
this week were entirely inaccurate. He said those reports
were deliberately disseminated by the TFG "scare al-Shabaab."
He said as of yet, no TFG or ASWJ field commanders had met.
Rather, he said, on the morning of the Beledweyne bombing, he
had been negotiating with Abdi Karin Farah (who was also
killed in the bombing) to have Omar Hashi go to Balanbale to
meet with Ethiopian military officers and ASWJ field
commanders to integrate ASWJ into Hashi's campaign plan for
Hiraan.
ASWJ Going "Defensive"
--------------
4. (C) The ASWJ leadership council advised their field
commanders on June 18 to fall into a completely defensive
mode after the death of Omar Hashi, and in preparation for
the expected imminent fall of Beledweyne to al-Shabaab.
Mahdi believed that once Beledweyne fell, al-Shabaab would
have another avenue of approach from which to attack ASWJ.
Mahdi was clearly devastated by the death of Hashi, and
called the event 'a national tragedy for Somalia." He
expected that Hashi's death would give al-Shabaab the
initiative and destroy the TFG's morale.
ASWJ and Former TFG DPM Ahmed Abdisalam
--------------
5. (C) In response to PolOff's query on ASWJ's relationship
with former TFG Deputy Prime Minister Abdisalam who had been
spending a fair amount of time in Addis Ababa of late, Mahdi
said ASWJ had "cut ties" with Ahmed and "threw him out."
Mahdi stated Ahmed had been trying to use ASWJ as an Ayr
platform to propel himself back into a position of power, but
ASWJ had rejected this. He commented that "Ahmed was only
out for Ahmed."
Comment
--------------
6. (C) Only two weeks ago, ASWJ leaders said they were
convinced the that TFG was attempting to undermine them, and
that an alliance was not likely in the near term, so what
changed? We have noticed a marked change in the confidence
level of ASWJ leaders since their defeat at Wabho on June 5
ADDIS ABAB 00001442 002 OF 002
from arrogance and overconfidence to one of caution and
uncertainty, and this may have convinced them to seek an
alliance with greater urgency. We can only speculate that
the TFG's recent resistance to ASWJ may also have been
mitigated by the failure of the TFG's offensive in Mogadishu.
End Comment.
YAMAMOTO
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2019
TAGS: PREL MOPS KPKO SO ET
SUBJECT: SOMALIA: ASWJ SAYS REACHED BREAKTHROUGH WITH TFG
Classified By: Acting Political Counselor Ted Harkema. Reasons: 1.4 (B
) AND (D).
1. (C) Summary. Alhu Sunnah Wal Jammah (ASWJ) leadership
council member Mahdi Dahir Sheikh Nur told PolOff on June 18
that ASWJ and Transitional Federal Government (TFG) Prime
Minister Sharmarke had reached an agreement "in principle" to
form a military alliance against al-Shabaab and Hisb Islam.
Contrary to recent press reports, Mahdi said there was, as of
yet, no cooperation between TFG and ASWJ field commanders.
He also stated all ASWJ militias would now settle into a
completely defensive posture to prepare for expected attacks
by al-Shabaab and Hisb Islam following the death of TFG
Minister of Security Omar Hashi. End Summary.
ASWJ and TFG Reach an Agreement "In Principle"
-------------- -
2. (C) Mahdi told PolOff on June 18 that several members of
the ASWJ leadership council had recently left Addis Ababa and
flown to Nairobi for talks with TFG PM Sharmarke, and that
the two sides had outlined an alliance agreement that was now
awaiting approval by TFG President Sheikh Sharif and TFG
Deputy Prime Minister Sharif Hassan. The agreement was for a
military alliance where ASWJ would keep its separate identity
but fight alongside TFG forces. ASWJ agreed to postpone
political powersharing talks until after al-Shabaab and Hisb
Islam were defeated, and the TFG agreed to share military
resources. ASWJ was cautious, however, and questioned
whether Sharif Hassan would support the agreement, noting
that they continued to view him with mistrust. Mahdi also
noted that Sharmarke had apologized for his government's
recent attempts to undermine ASWJ by forming an alternative
ASWJ organization in Mogadishu.
No Alliance Yet, Press Reports are Propaganda
--------------
3. (C) Mahdi said recent press reports that ASWJ and TFG
commanders in central Somalia had formed an alliance earlier
this week were entirely inaccurate. He said those reports
were deliberately disseminated by the TFG "scare al-Shabaab."
He said as of yet, no TFG or ASWJ field commanders had met.
Rather, he said, on the morning of the Beledweyne bombing, he
had been negotiating with Abdi Karin Farah (who was also
killed in the bombing) to have Omar Hashi go to Balanbale to
meet with Ethiopian military officers and ASWJ field
commanders to integrate ASWJ into Hashi's campaign plan for
Hiraan.
ASWJ Going "Defensive"
--------------
4. (C) The ASWJ leadership council advised their field
commanders on June 18 to fall into a completely defensive
mode after the death of Omar Hashi, and in preparation for
the expected imminent fall of Beledweyne to al-Shabaab.
Mahdi believed that once Beledweyne fell, al-Shabaab would
have another avenue of approach from which to attack ASWJ.
Mahdi was clearly devastated by the death of Hashi, and
called the event 'a national tragedy for Somalia." He
expected that Hashi's death would give al-Shabaab the
initiative and destroy the TFG's morale.
ASWJ and Former TFG DPM Ahmed Abdisalam
--------------
5. (C) In response to PolOff's query on ASWJ's relationship
with former TFG Deputy Prime Minister Abdisalam who had been
spending a fair amount of time in Addis Ababa of late, Mahdi
said ASWJ had "cut ties" with Ahmed and "threw him out."
Mahdi stated Ahmed had been trying to use ASWJ as an Ayr
platform to propel himself back into a position of power, but
ASWJ had rejected this. He commented that "Ahmed was only
out for Ahmed."
Comment
--------------
6. (C) Only two weeks ago, ASWJ leaders said they were
convinced the that TFG was attempting to undermine them, and
that an alliance was not likely in the near term, so what
changed? We have noticed a marked change in the confidence
level of ASWJ leaders since their defeat at Wabho on June 5
ADDIS ABAB 00001442 002 OF 002
from arrogance and overconfidence to one of caution and
uncertainty, and this may have convinced them to seek an
alliance with greater urgency. We can only speculate that
the TFG's recent resistance to ASWJ may also have been
mitigated by the failure of the TFG's offensive in Mogadishu.
End Comment.
YAMAMOTO