From Somalia, it was gathered that the European Union (EU) has promised to donate $2.4bn to assist Somalia in overcoming its internal crises of more than two decades.

This conclusion was reached at a conference in Brussels, Belgium. It is tagged “New Deal” which focused on peace and state building.

At the meeting, the EU and Somalia argue that now is a good time to adopt the New Deal. They say the country has entered a new era, with a more legitimate government and progress on the security front.

In his reaction, EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said the extra money would support a "new phase in the life of Somalia", while President Mohamud  explained that  Somali would welcome the New Deal.

"It's a standard deal throughout the world in the post-conflict environment. This is a deal that is based on Somalia-led initiatives," he said.

The country has been in conflict for the past two decades as Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab recked much havoc, but they were driven out of main cities by the African Union (AU) forces backing the government.