The African Union has agreed to send troops to Somalia to help its new government set up operations in the war-shattered country.

The AU's Peace and Security Council announced the move Wednesday. 

But it gave no details about how big the force would be or when it would be deployed, saying those decisions would be made later.

Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed has asked the African Union to send a force to help stabilize Somalia.

The country's transitional government is currently based in neighboring Kenya, due to security concerns at home.

Somali officials say after the government approves a new cabinet, expected this week, it will choose a date to return to Somalia.  

Kenya hosted the negotiations that helped create Somalia's first central government since 1991.  Kenya officials have been urging Somali lawmakers to speed up the process to go home, warning they risk becoming a government-in-exile.