Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh-Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh says dialogue and not force is the only solution to bring peace to the war-torn Somalia.

As the African continent's leaders gathered in Kampala for a summit dominated by the Somali conflict, Saleh said that sending more troops to Mogadishu will not solve any problem, rather it will aggravate the already deteriorated situation.

"We believe that military involvement cannot bring a peaceful solution," Saleh told AFP on the sidelines of the pre-summit ministerial gathering on Friday.

Two weeks after 76 people were killed in severe clashes in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, the African Union announced more troops were on the way to boost its AMISOM forces in Mogadishu.

Saleh said "priority should be given to a political situation" involving al-Shabab, Hezb al-Islam, the TFG, Puntland and Somaliland, referring to the rival movements and breakaway regions inside Somalia.

Meanwhile, the Eritrean minister dismissed US accusations that Eritrea has been supporting al-Shabab.

Last Tuesday, a senior US lawmaker called for Eritrea to be added to a terrorism blacklist.

Saleh dismissed the claims and said, "This is an allegation that doesn't have any evidence. We haven't supported the al-Shabab."
(PRESS TV)‎