Somalia’s government began a weeklong meeting Monday with elders, traditional chiefs and representatives of aid groups as part of efforts to try to reconcile Somalis after 16 years of conflict. The capital, Mogadishu, and much of southern Somalia has borne the brunt of the country’s conflict, which began in 1991, when clan-based warlords toppled dictator Mohamed Siad Barre and then turned on each other, sinking the Horn of Africa nation into chaos. Full Story