The Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi, said yesterday the cost of his military campaign against the Islamists in Somalia had been "huge" and promised his troops would be home within weeks.
In a speech to parliament in Addis Ababa, Mr Meles said that having chased the Islamist fighters into the bush in southern Somalia, his army was "mopping up the remnants of the extreme forces".
"We have now routed and broken the backbone of the force bracing to destabilise our country and the whole of the Horn of Africa, sticking to our back like a thorn difficult to remove," he said. "We will withdraw our forces within a few weeks as it is our irrevocable position."
His promise contradicted earlier comments from Somalia's prime minister, Ali Mohamed Gedi, who said that the Ethiopian troops might stay for months to provide security for the government, which has few trained fighters. It fears an early withdrawal might allow clan-based warlords, who had ruled much of the country for 15 years until defeated by the Islamists in June, to re-establish control.
But Mr Meles, who backed Mr Gedi's regime against the Somali Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC), said Ethiopia could ill-afford a long occupation. Analysts said that even if Ethiopia did withdraw the bulk of soldiers, it was likely to keep an "unofficial" military presence.
Both Mr Meles and Somalia's transitional government have called for peacekeepers to help stabilise the country, which has been without an effective central authority since 1991. But aside from the logistical concerns - it is not clear who will contribute troops or fund the mission - the issue of foreign peacekeepers remains deeply divisive in Somalia.
In an attempt to take control of the city, Mr Gedi had announced that the population had three days to give up their weapons, beginning yesterday.
Few were taking the ultimatum seriously. Members of the Hawiye clan, who dominate Mogadishu, distrust the government and it is unlikely they will hand over their guns without a fight. Indeed, reports from the capital suggested the price of an AK-47 had risen sharply as militias looked to rearm. Diplomats also warn that SCIC leaders and its militant Shabaab fighters remain at large.