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1,000-man militia being trained in north Somalia

01 December 2010 20:24 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. An unknown donor nation is funding a 1,000-man military force in northern Somalia, but no one will say who is paying for the force, APA reports quoting â€œAssociated Pressâ€.
The Associated Press has determined that training for an anti-piracy force of up to 1,050 men has already begun in Puntland, a semiautonomous region in northern Somalia. The area is believed to hold reserves of oil and gas.
Pierre Prosper, an ambassador-at-large for war crimes issues under former President George W. Bush, told AP he is being paid by a Muslim nation he declined to identify to be a legal adviser to the Somali government.
Prosper said the donations from the Muslim nation come from a "zakat fund," referring to charitable donations. The same donor is funding the 1,000-man militia.