NAIROBI - THE Somali prime minister says his country has been torn apart by a long civil war and cannot stop piracy alone.

Nur Hassan Hussein says the piracy problem 'is part of the legacy of the situation of the country. This 18 years of civil war is followed by disorder.'

Mr Hussein said on Tuesday in an interview with The Associated Press in Nairobi, Kenya, that stopping piracy is 'not something Somalia can do alone. This needs a tremendous effort.'

Mr Hussein has appealed for international troops for Somalia after his government's Ethiopian allies said they would pull out their troops soon.

Pirates have taken advantage of lawlessness in Somalia to launch attacks on foreign shipping form the Somali coast. Around 100 ships have been attacked so far this year. -- AP