Africa

Food Prices in Somalia Impacted by Ukraine Conflict, Calls for Negotiation - Foreign Minister

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - The cost of food in Somalia has been very negatively impacted as a result of the Ukraine conflict, Somalian Foreign Minister Ahmed Fiqi told Sputnik.
Sputnik
“Yes," Fiqi said when asked whether the Ukrainian conflict has impacted the prices of food in Somalia. "[Food prices have been] very, very impacted.”
In addition, many other areas have also been impacted by the Ukrainian conflict, Fiqi added.
The resolution of the Ukrainian conflict lies in negotiations and dialogue, Fiqi continued.
“The solution [to the conflict in Ukraine] is dialogue, the solution is to sit down together and to solve this problem with the dialogue,” Fiqi said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Fiqi further added that no one can force others to do anything.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in June that Russia would cease fire and start talks with Ukraine as soon as Kiev withdrew troops from Russia-controlled regions and abandoned plans to join NATO. Zelensky rejected the proposal, calling it an ultimatum.
Somalia faced its worst drought in decades from 2021 to 2023, resulting in a food crisis for about half of its population.
Somalia collapsed in 1991 with the fall of the dictatorial regime of Mohamed Siad Barre. The federal government, which controls the capital city of Mogadishu and several other areas, is recognized by the international community as the only legitimate authority in the country.
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The remaining parts of Somalia are under the control of unrecognized state entities or are self-governing territories. The northern part is the unrecognized Republic of Somaliland and in the eastern part is the Puntland region, which declared autonomy in 1998.
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