Kampala — THE Ethiopian government has hailed the Ugandan peace-keeping contingent in the war-torn Somalia for being exemplary.

"We appreciate the commitment the Ugandan troops are demonstrating in playing their role without being disrupted by the provocation of the terrorists," a statement by the Ethiopian ministry of information issued last week said:

There are 1,500 Ugandan soldiers in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, who are part of the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM).

Ethiopia also asked the UN, AU and the international community, to speed up efforts to ensure that peace returns to Somalia to enable the transitional federal government lead the country.

The Ethiopian government also appreciated the efforts by Nigeria to deploy its peace-keeping mission to Somalia.

"Such measures are good starts that encourage those who had agreed to contribute troops and pledged to provide financial assistance to the AU peace-keeping mission in Somalia to keep their promises," the statement read.

Last year, Ethiopian defence forces backing the transitional government fighters, ousted the Union of Islamist Courts from the troubled Horn of Africa nation.