Nations working to help Somalia stabilize

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (UPI) -- The United States and the international community are working to help bring about a more stable government in Somalia, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday.

"(There) are efforts that are going to be going on today at the (United Nations)," State Department spokesman Robert Wood said, including discussions on Somalia and piracy.

Discussions have been conducted with Somalia's Transitional Federal Government in Somalia and "it's been made clear that it's important for there to be a stable, unified government so that we can deal with the situation in Somalia, which seems to deteriorate every day," he said. "And it's a great concern of ours and a great concern of the international community as well."

Wood said a weekend attempt by Somali President Abdullahi Yusef to oust Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein "basically undermines the Transitional National Government's efforts to promote peace and stability in the region."