The United States on Thursday urged neighboring countries of Somalia to play a positive role to reduce the growing tensions in Somalia.

Washington is closely watching what is happening in Somalia, where bloody conflicts between the interim government and the Islamic militia are going on the rampage, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at a news briefing.

"We would hope that countries in the region would try to play a positive role, take steps to reduce the existing tensions and not to take any steps that would aggravate what is already a very tough, sad situation," said McCormack.

McCormack declined to make comment on the reports that Ethiopia is sending troops to protect Somalia's interim government, and that Eritria is sending weapons to the Islamists.

Instead, the spokesman said, "When you add Somalia into the equation and each of Ethiopia's and Eritrea's various perceived equities with the various groups in Somalia, then it becomes very complex, a complex situation, and one that could be quite tense."

Somalia has been without a functioning central administration since 1991 and the government, formed in neighboring Kenya in 2004, has been wracked by infighting and unable to assert control over much of the country.

Source: Xinhua