The United Nations, United States, European Union, African Union, Arab League and East African states discussed the crisis as the Somali government and their Ethiopian allies hunted Islamist leaders that were forced out of Mogadishu last month.

US naval forces were also patrolling off the Somali coast to ensure Islamists did not flee by sea.

The panel, known as the international contact group on Somalia, "emphasized the urgent need for funding to facilitate the deployment of a stabilisation force in Somalia based on UN Security Council resolution 1725," said a statement read by Kenyan Foreign Minister Raphael Tuju on Friday.

Previous US and UN peacekeeping forays into Somalia between 1993 and 1995 ended disastrously.

"It is essential that an inclusive process of political dialogue and reconciliation reject violence and extremism - be launched without delay," it added.

President Abdullahi Yusuf Amed of Somalia called for a "speedy deployment" of international troops which he said would be crucial to hopes of bringing order.

The UN has called for the deployment of 8,000 peacekeepers and Uganda has pledged troops. Other potential contributors include Rwanda, Tanzania, South Africa and Nigeria.

The US top diplomat for Africa Jendayi Frazer said Washington would release an extra 24 million dollars -- 10 million for development and 14 million for the force -- bringing the total US pledge to 40 million dollars.Other donations have yet to be announced.

"It is very important that the governement reach out very broadly (to) include moderate elements of the Islamic Courts Union ... It is the Somalis to identify who is moderate," she added.

In Brussels, the 27 EU countries urged the government "to turn its military victory into a political success, which implies an opening up and an inclusive (political) process," a diplomat told AFP, adding that inclusion of Islamist moderates would be "a condition for the continuation of our aid".

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