Ethiopia will continue to support the activities of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), after it pulls its troops out of Somalia by the end of the year, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wahide Belay said Monday evening.

Ethiopia will continue exerting efforts to help ensure peace and stability in Somalia, Wahide told journalists.

"Ethiopia has decided to withdraw from that country, following the misunderstanding among the leaders of Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG), and leniency of the international community and the UN Security Council to deploy a peacekeeping mission and to finance the TFG," he said.

Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry announced last month it would pull its troops out of Somalia by the end of the year. The announcement of Ethiopia's withdrawal had caused panic among AMISOM, whose peacekeepers are to take over security duties, but needed more preparation time.

Failure of countries to live up with their promises of contributing soldiers and logistics to AMISOM was another reason Ethiopia cited for its decision to pull out its army from Somalia.

Ethiopia, during the past two years, has been repeatedly calling for the international community and UN to strengthen AMISOM.

Wahide said that after Ethiopia's withdrawal from Somalia, the AU Peace and Security Council and the UN should shoulder responsibilities and take urgent measure to fill the gap in that country.

Meanwhile, he said the international community should support the implementation of Djibouti agreement signed among different Somali parties since addressing political problem is the prime to ensure a lasting peace in the Horn of Africa nation.