The US has pledged increased support for the Somali government in its conflict with Islamist rebels. On Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. Clinton also warned Somalia’s neighbor Eritrea against support for the militant group al-Shabab.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: “Making it very clear that their actions are unacceptable, their interference with the rights of the Somali people to determine their own future are the height of misplaced efforts and funding, and we intend to take action if they do not cease.”