Sharif Hassan Sheik Aden, a Somali prominent politician has been elected today (17 November, 2014) to the presidency for newly established federal state of Somalia, South West State, and here is his brief profile.
Born in Bardale district of Bakool Region in the year 1946, Sharif Hasan joined the politics in 2004 when he was elected as the speaker of parliament at a reconciliation conference held in Nairobi, Kenya. He held that post until 2007.
Rift between Sharif and President Abdullaahi Yusuf
Immediately after the formation of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia in Kenya headed by President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, Sharif Hassan fell out with president Abdullahi over the issue of deploying front states peacekeeping troops to Somalia. Then the parliament split into two groups.
May 11, 2005: Somali lawmakers totaling 152 MPs held a special congress in Nairobi requested by President Yusuf, the special gathering adopted a resolution making provision that the city of Baidao or Jowhar will the seat of the government and that front line states can send peacekeeping forces to Somalia, this included Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti, all neighbors to Somalia.
Sharif Hassan did not attend this meeting; instead his deputy chair Prof. Mohamed Omar Dalha chaired it. Sharif declared that the resolutions taken by the special congress in null and void.
Negotiation efforts between Sharif and Abdullahi Yusuf
June 25, 2005: The Yemeni government successfully initiated a peace deal between the two. On 22 June 2005 the first face to face meeting between Sharif and Abdulahi is held in Sana, Yemen and lasted till 22 June, 2005.
Sharif signs a political deal with Mogadishu Warlords
In June 2005: After the split and the newly formed government moved to the country, Sharif Hassan remained in Kenya while President Abdullahi Yusuf and Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi went to Jowhar was the government’s bas by then.
June 5 2005 : Sharif Hassan and President Abdullahi sign an accord mediated by Yemeni president Ali Abdalle Salah.
June 6, 2005: Sharif Hassan and Somali Warlords flies back to Mogadishu from Kenya as they form strong bond. Warlords were also MPs and some held cabinet posts.
After a short while, the Yemen accord paved the way for an agreement that the government seat should move to the other city, Baidao.
February 26, 2005: Somali parliament meets in Baidao for the first time chaired by Sharif Hassan.
Alliance between Sharif and Islamic Courts Union
After Islamic Courts Union overrun the capital and chased warlords, and took control much of the country, there were negotiation efforts spearheaded by Sudan President Omar Hassan Al-bashir trying to bring together the ICU and Transitional Federal Government which only controlled Baidoi.
Soon disagreement emerged between Sharif and President Abdullahi over the negotiations efforts. President Abdullahi refused to seat face to face with ICU leaders.
June 22, 2006: An agreement has been reached between ICU and TFSG , this agreement was signed by President Abdullahi Yusuf, Prime Minister Ali Mohamed and Speaker Sharif Hassan, while from the ICU side Dr. Mohamed Ali Ibrahim and a team of 10 ICU representatives signed the agreement.
January 17, 2007: After deepening rift between the speaker and the president, MPs proposed a motion of no confidence against Sharif Hassan, 183 MPs voted yes , 8 MPs voted yes, therefore Sharif Hassan was ousted from his post as a speaker for Somalia Parliament.
On 31 January, 2007: Parliament holds election for a new speaker, Sheik Adan Madobe emerged victorious from the election. And he was sworn in on 3 February, 2007.
September 2007: Sharif never conceded defeat, instead he let some MPs out of the country and established a group called Free Parliament and make his base in Asmara.
Sharif Hasan and his camp attended a conference by opposition groups headed Sheik Sharif former ICU chairman. This conference which was held in Asmara between 5th September, 2007 to 14th September, 2007, they formed a single opposition group called Somali re libration and reconciliation alliance where by Sheik Sharif became the chair while Sharif Hassan became his deputy.
February 20, 2009 : Sharif Hassan was named as finance minister by then Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid of president Sheik Sharif government.
May 25, 2010: Sharif Hassan was then elected as the speaker of parliament, a post held until 20 August, 2012.
February 2012: Sharif was one of the main signatories for a road map ending Somalia transition at a UN backed conference, Garowe, Somalia.
His role of South West State formation
Just days after 3rd March 2014 when Madobe Nunow Mohamed was elected as the president for South West State comprising six regions, Sharif Hassan organized a parallel conference in Baidao purportedly for the formation of South West State, this time comprising three regions.
More than 700 delegates attended the conference and on 27th March elected Mohamed Haji Hassan as president for South West State, a close relative of Sharif Hassan.
Sharif Hassan is currently an MP in the Federal Parliament, and eventually he has been elected as president for South West State at a conference in Baidoi, four other candidates, who were of the technical commute step down in favor for him.
He remains to be one of the most influential politicians in Somalia
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