Somalilandsun: recent years, the conflict in Somalia has reached a stalemate. Al-Shabaab now operates as a powerful hybrid organization: governing rural areas in Somalia, terrorizing Somali cities and AMISOM-contributing countries, and running a massive extortion ring that keeps the group well financed. With periodic questions about how long AMISOM will stay and what the future U.S. presence will look like, waiting to initiate negotiations will only give al-Shabaab a greater advantage in any eventual talks
In this context Tricia Bacon, a professor at American University, argues that despite al-Shabaab’s brutal track record, it may be right to negotiate with the group since Washington United States has negotiated with equally ugly organizations, and at times such talks are necessary to advance U.S. interests, in a commentary titled No Shortcuts to Negotiating With al-Shabaab
