British foreign secretary lands in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- British Foreign Secretary William Hague arrived Thursday in Somalia, saying London was working to re-establish its embassy there.

"Today I am delighted to have made the first visit to Mogadishu by a British foreign secretary for over 19 years," he said in a statement on arrival. "This is a sign of Britain's commitment to the people and country of Somalia."

London, near the end of February, is the site of an international conference on Somalia. The agenda includes developing plans to support the political process in Somalia as well as finding additional funding for the peacekeeping mission there.

Hague said the British government was "actively" seeking to reopen its embassy "as soon as local circumstances permit." Matt Baugh, the new British ambassador to Somalia, presented his credentials to Somali leaders during Hague's visit.

There's been some progress in supporting the interim administration in Mogadishu as it struggles to assert its authority beyond the capital. Aid groups expressed concern about the lack of access to parts of the country under the control of al-Qaida affiliate al-Shabaab.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said Thursday that al-Shabaab retracted its agreement to let the aid group deliver food to parts of the country under the group's control.