Somalia: UN official says it will negotiate Al Shabab

Nairobi (UN)-  Negotiations with Somali insurgents for access to civilians caught up in the conflict will be a priority for the United Nations, as drought threatens to worsen the already “chronic catastrophe” in the country, a senior U.N. official said.
“We can’t afford to see a continual shrinking of humanitarian access in south and central Somalia. We have to try every means to address that,” said Mark Bowden, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia. “We need to call upon the insurgents, al Shabaab and others, for far better recognition of the need for humanitarian assistance.”
“We have to strive continuously to improve discussions, negotiations … to get people to accept responsibility, their own responsibilities, for the populations that live in the areas that they claim to control and that I think has to be our priority for the coming year,” he added.Read More