Donors raise 213 million dollars for Somalia: communique
(BRUSSELS) - International donors raised 213 million dollars (165 million euros) Thursday to help bolster Somalia's security forces and back an African peacekeeping force, a final communique said.
"The United Nations Secretary General welcomed the pledges made by countries participating in the conference, which totalled 213 million dollars in support of the Somali security institutions and the African Union mission...," it said.
Immediately after the four-hour conference in Brussels, EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel said the donors had pledged "above 250 million if you take into account material aid".
The European Commission, which had announced it would pledge at least 60 million euros on the eve of the meeting, finally stumped up 72 million euros, almost half the total.
Some 60 million euros will go to the AMISOM African peacekeeping mission, which numbers around 4,300 troops -- well short of its 8,000 troop target -- while 12 million euros will go to help build up the police force.
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