Somalia: Negotiations with Al-Shabab

War on the Rocks published on 13 May 2019 a commentary titled “How To End the Civil War in Somalia: Negotiate with Al-Shabaab” by Jason Hartwig, former US military assistance coordinator in Somalia.

The author argues that the inability to decisively defeat al-Shabaab leaves only negotiated settlement or prolonged fighting and the certainty of continued terrorist activity. He acknowledges that al-Shabaab has not sought negotiations, which would require a multi-step process to achieve any success.

While I agree that the situation on the ground in Somalia has reached a stalemate, it is difficult to conceive that al-Shabaab would accept anything other than total capitulation by the Somali government.