UN: Engage with rebels to protect humanitarian law

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The world body must engage more with insurgent groups in conflicts around the world to ensure they too are respecting the Geneva Conventions. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Saturday.

He urged national governments involved in such conflicts to accept the necessity of the U.N. talking to "non-state armed groups."

"We must focus more attention on compliance with international humanitarian law by non-state armed groups," Ban said.

Governments battling insurgent groups have traditionally discouraged international contacts with their opponents, fearing these could indirectly legitimize the rebel cause.