Ethiopia is to withdraw from areas it has recently captured in neighbouring Somalia with its troops to be replaced by African Union (AU) soldiers.
The decision was made by the AU's Peace and Security Council, which met to finalise boosting its Somali force.
It wants the UN to approve a new figure of 17,731, which would include the absorption of Kenyan troops. They entered the country in October in pursuit of al-Shabab militants, who control much of southern Somalia. The al-Qaeda-linked group is now battling on several fronts, with forces from Kenya and Ethiopia, as well as local militias, taking ground recently.