Hiiraan Online recognizes Sh. Ahmed as the person of the year 2006 for his profound contribution to that short-lived effort.
We understand that Sh. Ahmed and the UIC are no longer in the political arena of
The son of pious a father, Sh. Ahmed mastered the Qur’an and Islamic theology at puberty. He later studied law at a Libyan university.
He was barely known beyond Jubba high school, where he taught geography and history during late 1990’s to early 2000. At some point, a valedictorian student of him was kidnapped by one the nefarious
Aghast by this action, he assembled a force that successfully freed the student. This victory provided him a daring conviction that he could put a squeezing halt on the notorious kidnapping-for-ransom business in the CC neighborhood, where he lived and worked. He was elected to head the Islamic Court of CC, which soon annihilated the organized gang activity in Towfiiq.
Sh. Ahmed realized that all organized gang and warlord activity could be curbed with courage and conviction. He embarked on an audacious plan to improvise a unified umbrella for more than the 30 individual
Thought to be impossible, he detached almost all Islamic courts from their clans and amalgamated them into a new force, dubbed “The Union of Islamic Courts (UIC.)”
The new UIC jittered the foundation of
It was doomed alliance. The UIC, under the deft leadership of Sh. Ahmed, crushed the warlords to near death, and pacified
UIC removed nearly 300 roadblocks around the country, re-commissioned Mogadishu International airport and seaport, all the while extending its hand to the Baydhabo-holed Transitional Federal Government (TFG.)
In the process, Sh. Ahmed, 43, was often referred to as the “moderate face of the UIC” in the Western media. Indeed, he developed an aura that appealed to all walks of the society, including his enemy. He’s famous for his superior oratory skills and negotiation capacity.
Simply, he might be the best leader
His tenure was ended last week with
Hiiraan Online recognizes Sh. Sharif Sh. Ahmed as the person of the year 2006, not only for his magnanimous personality, but for spearheading a fledgling, non-monolithic group, which, at times, overstepped its powers, and, at other times, underestimated its enemies.
Whatever the cause of failure of the UIC maybe, Sh. Ahmed epitomized peace for six historic months in
We wish him the best luck in his future endeavors. Please join us in congratulating him and wishing him well.
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