The United Nations special representative to Somalia welcomed the agreement but also sounded a note of caution.
“We have to have high hopes, but we also have to keep our eyes wide open. Somalia is complex and has a chequered history, so we’ll follow this through,” Nick Kay told AFP.
Multiple armies have been fighting for control of southern Somalia, including rival warlords backed by Kenyan troops, the Shebab and the rag-tag national army backed by the African Union force.
Kenya views the area as a key buffer zone to protect its borders.
Mogadishu’s government, selected in a UN-backed process in August 2012, was hailed at the time as offering the best chance for peace in a generation.
The new government was the first to be given global recognition since the collapse of Somalia’s the hardline regime in 1991.
But the authorities have been dealt a number of setbacks in recent months, including a string of Shebab attacks, accusations of rape against the army and AU soldiers and a pull out by aid workers because of a wave of kidnappings and killings.
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