Addis Ababa — President Sheikh Sharif attended the AU Summit in Sirte, Libya, where he pushed for changing the mandate of AU peacekeepers (AMISOM) in Mogadishu to use force against insurgents.

The Reuters news agency reported that the AU summit did not adopt that proposal, but condemned the insurgency, pledged support for the government and called for sanctions on Eritrea, a Horn of Africa country accused of aiding Somali insurgents.

Mr. Said Yusuf, the Somali ambassador to Ethiopia, told the BBC Somali Service that President Sheikh Sharif held a number of meetings in Addis Ababa, including discussions with ambassadors and envoys from China, Kenya, Sweden and the European Union.

Meanwhile, the latest bout of fighting killed upwards of 30 people last week in Mogadishu, where the 4,200-strong AMISOM peacekeeping force is protecting government officials and important installations.

AU member states pledged to boost the AMISOM force to the planned force of 8,000 peacekeepers, but no countries have forwarded troop contributions so far.

Islamist hardliners led by Al Shabaab faction have vowed to overthrow President Sheikh Sharif's interim government, which they accuse of being backed by the West.

The hardliners have demanded the withdrawal of AMISOM peacekeepers and the installation of an Islamic government in Somalia.