In political circles, Sheikh Sharif is described as a power-hungry politician who enjoys the West's admiration of him as a "moderate" Islamist. He has surrounded himself with powerful elements of the Hawiye clan, while the Darod clan members of his government, including Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmake, are seen as puppets who are unrepresentative of their constituents. It is not a coincidence that Al Shabaab fighters are being attacked in central Somalia, home to the Hawiye clansmen, while Al Shabaab have full and orderly control of Darod and Rahaweyn homelands in southern Somalia, including Kismayo and Baidoa. Ultimately, the "international community" backs Sheikh Sharif's government insofar as it declares war on Al Shabaab. Still, the clan dynamics to Somalia's political structure cannot be ignored.
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