The United Nations hopes a 100-day plan will be agreed at a conference on Thursday to help Somalia build up security forces and restore stability after nearly two decades of anarchy as Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed told reporters in Cairo on Wednesday that the best way to counter piracy off the war-torn African country's coast was to equip and train Somali police. Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN special representative for Somalia, said in an interview he hoped the international donors meeting in Brussels would provide a clear plan to combat the east African country's problems as well as urgent funding. Organizers say at least $165 million is needed to improve security in Somalia, which has functioned without a central government since 1991 and is mired in conflict. Piracy has also become a big threat to international shipping off its coast. “We have to start by being determined to help Somalia, to signal that it is no longer business as usual,” Ould-Abdallah told Reuters late Tuesday. He hoped for agreement on “what can we do in the next 100 days to help the new government ... through concrete support in the area of security ... in the development area, by giving young people a job and by providing assistance”. “This has to be done quickly and in a time frame which strengthens the new government,” he said. “We expect it to happen after this conference.” The conference will be hosted by the European Commission and chaired by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and African Union Chairman Jean Ping. The EU promised on Wednesday to provide at least 60 million euros ($77 million) to help Somalia. Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed told reporters in Cairo on Wednesday that the best way to counter piracy off the war-torn African country's coast was to equip and train Somali police. Ahmed, in Cairo for talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, warned against US military action against the pirates. “We advise against resorting to (US military strikes) and rather to focus on finding a comprehensive solution,” he said, adding that Somalia's piracy was the result of the loss of “security and stability” in his country. The new US administration has pledged to step up the fight against pirates from Somalia after a US cargo ship was seized earlier this month. “The pirates live on land... and therefore confronting them begins where they live, and that can be achieved through strengthening the abilities of Somalia's police,” Ahmed said. Ahmed will on Thursday attend a one-day donors conference in Brussels, where the European Commission has said it will pledge at least 60 million euros ($78 million) to help boost security in war
