Mogadishu - The Somali government has asked the international community to prevent Eritrea arming insurgent groups fighting to bring down a fragile peace process.

"The government of Eritrea has deployed weapons to Somalia," Farhan Ali Mohamoud, Somali Information Minister, told reporters in Mogadishu late Tuesday. "I call on the international community to intervene and stop this deployment."

Omar Hashi Aden, Somalia's National Security Minister, on Sunday said the Eritrean government had deployed two military shipments at a former military airport in Balidoggle, 100 kilometres south of Mogadishu.

The Somali government controls parts of Mogadishu, while much of the rest of the country is under the sway of Islamist insurgent groups.

International observers say that Eritrea has long been supporting these groups with funds, arms and training.

The insurgency has claimed the lives of over 15,000 civilians since early 2007, and the resultant insecurity has helped feed an explosion of piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

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