Kampala  - Uganda warned Saturday that it may withdraw its troops from peacekeeping duties in Somalia as Ethiopia pulls its forces out after a two-year occupation of the conflict-stricken nation.

"Uganda is going to consider withdrawing its troops from Somalia and it will do so as soon as possible after weighing the risks on the ground," Deputy Foreign Minister Henry Okello Oryem told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.

Ethiopian forces invaded Somalia in late 2006 to help kick out the hardline Islamic Courts Union (ICU) regime.

After two years of battling a bloody insurgency and watching the government it backed fall apart, Ethiopia is now cutting its losses.

Only ramshackle government forces and an undermanned African Union force of around 3,000 troops from Uganda and Burundi will stand between the main insurgent group al-Shabaab and complete control of Somalia once Ethiopia leaves.

Al-Shabaab has been implementing strict Islamic law as it takes over towns, and many are concerned of a radicalization of the population should it gain complete control.

The United States says al-Shabaab has close links to al-Qaeda. However, little hard evidence has emerged to prove this.

The AU is desperately trying to scrape up more troops to keep al-Shabaab at bay, but Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana have already failed to meet their pledges to the peacekeeping mission.

"We have been waiting for other countries like Nigeria and Ghana to send troops but they have not done so," said Oryem. "Our army experts are on the ground to establish the risk of our troops staying there and we shall withdraw once the risks are too high."

Uganda has demanded a United Nations peacekeeping force of 8,000 troops, but UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has rejected the calls, saying there is "no peace to keep."

Somalia has been embroiled in chaos ever since the 1991 ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

The crisis deepened after the Ethiopian invasion sparked a bloody insurgency that has killed over 10,000 civilians and displaced around 1 million.

Analysts fear that the Ethiopian departure could worsen the conflict. The insurgents are far from united and some are warning the insurgent groups could splinter and begin fighting, sending Somalia spiralling further into chaos.

This seems to be taking place already, with a relatively new Islamist group, Ahlu Sunna Waljamaca, clashing with al-Shabaab in recent days.

There is, nonetheless, some optimism that the resignation of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed on Monday and the departure of the Ethiopians could give fresh impetus to an ongoing UN-backed peace process and help create a government of national unity. (dpa)