The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) has denied showing any interest in holding peace talks with Al-Shabaab.
Hussein Sheikh Ali, a National Security Adviser, denied receiving any requests from the terror group.
Reports appearing in a section of the media had quoted Abdulfatah Kasim Mohamed saying that Al-Shabaab had requested peace talks with the government.
Mohamed is the federal Deputy Minister of Defense.
He is also a serving Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of the People (Lower House).
Ali denied such reports during an interview with the Voice of America (VOA) Somali Service. The National Security Adviser added that Mohamed had been misquoted.
Meanwhile, Al-Shabaab has also refuted reports on peace talks with the federal government.
It called the claims by the deputy defense minister “baseless” and that such talks with the government can never take place.
Al-Shabaab’s denial appeared on a website sympathetic to its cause.
