MOGADISHU, Somalia, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Ghedi said Ethiopia can leave its troops in Somalia for months if necessary to prevent the return of Islamist militias.
But Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi warned that his country does not have the money to support a long-term military mission, the New York Times reported Tuesday. In a speech to the Ethiopian parliament, Zenawi called for the speedy dispatch of international peacekeepers.
Ethiopia, backed by Somali troops loyal to the interim government, spent more than two weeks chasing out the Islamists, who seized control of the capital in June, bringing some stability to Mogadishu for the first time since the early 1990s.
Ghedi told the BBC Ethiopia's presence depended on how long it took for Somali troops to get security measures in place.
"It depends how the stabilization and pacification takes place. It can be weeks, it can be months -- but not more," he said.
Ghedi said Uganda and Nigeria have also offered to send troops, but details about who would fund that hadn't been finalized.
Kenyan forces are watching their border with Somalia in hopes of capturing fleeing Islamist militants, the report said.
