UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Wednesday welcomed the Security Council's choice to add personnel and funding to the African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

"The secretary-general welcomes the decision of the Security Council to endorse the expansion of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to 17,731 uniformed personnel, as well as to put AMISOM on a sound financial footing through the enhancement of the United Nations Logistical Support Package," said a statement released here by Ban's spokesman.

On Wednesday morning, the council unanimously adopted a resolution that increased the number of AMISOM uniformed personnel from 12,000 to 17,731 in order to counter the challenges posed by Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia.

"An expanded AMISOM is critical as it provides support to the Transitional Federal Government in extending its authority across a wider area of southern and central Somalia as well as to significantly degrade the insurgency's military capability across the country," said the statement.

Ban also encourages progress by Somalia on implementing a roadmap for the country's future, signed in September 2011. The roadmap seeks to build institutions and work towards establishing a permanent government in the country, which currently is ruled by the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

"The secretary-general also underlines that military gains need to be consolidated through continued progress by Somalia's political leaders in the implementation of the Roadmap for ending the transition, which is the basis for lasting peace and stability in Somalia," said the statement. "He looks forward to tomorrow's London Conference on Somalia as an opportunity to strengthen international efforts in support of peace and stability in Somalia."

On February 23, officials from at least 40 governments are due to meet in London to discuss the political, security, and humanitarian challenges facing the troubled Horn of Africa country.