SOMALIA - JUBA RESISTANCE MOVEMENT WANTS TO

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