An undisclosed "Muslim nation" is funding a 1,000-strong, privately trained military force in northern Somalia and has hired a former CIA officer and a senior official from the Bush administration to advise the Somali government on security matters, according to a report.

The Associated Press said the "anti-piracy" force was receiving instruction in Puntland, a semi-autonomous region on the tip of Africa's horn that oil and gas exploration firms are interested in.

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