Somalia's interim President Abdullahi Yusuf arrived in Mogadishu on Monday amid tight security, his very first visit to the capital city since taking office in 2004.

Somalia's Foreign Minister Ismail Mohamud Hurreh, speaking over phone from Mogadishu, told Xinhua that Yusuf flew in the bullet-infested capital shortly after noon time and kept the visit unannounced for security concerns.

"The president arrived in Mogadishu about two hours ago. We expect him to stay in Mogadishu for an unspecified period as he holds consultations with various people," Hurreh said.

"The visit is sending clear message to all Somalis that the Transitional Government of Somalia has every intention to move to the capital. Mogadishu has been lacking governance for a long period of time and this visit signals the end of lack of governance in Mogadishu," Hurreh added.

At the moment, President Yusuf and Prime Minister Mohammed Ali Ghedi are at Villa Somalia, the former presidential palace in southern Mogadishu, for discussions with clan elders about the faltering disarmament process.

Since being elected Somalia's interim president, Yusuf has always said it was too dangerous for him to set up a government in Mogadishu and has set up a camp at the provisional outpost of Baidoa.

Witnesses said Mogadishu streets were under heavy security on Monday after several protests and attacks in recent days against Ethiopian troops, which are backing the Somali transitional government to defeat rivalling Islamic forces.

In another development, the African Union (AU) on Monday underlined the urgency of the deployment of a peace support mission in Somalia in order to build on the current momentum to stabilize the situation.

It also underlined the need for continued support by the United Nations and its Security Council, as well as by other AU partners, said a statement issued after its Peace and Security Council meeting.

The deployment of a peace support mission in Somalia is aimed at providing security support for the Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) and institutional capacity building, as well as supporting dialogue and reconciliation in Somalia, it said.

The AU Peace and Security Council agreed to reconvene shortly to finalize the plans for the deployment of an African peace support mission in Somalia, based on proposals to be submitted by the African Union Commission, working closely with the regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and other stakeholders, said the statement.

In the statement, the AU Peace and Security Council welcomed the commitment of Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed to reach out to all groups in Somalia and promote an inclusive dialogue and reconciliation.

In late December last year, the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), which rapidly expanded since it had seized the Somali capital Mogadishu in June, 2006, was routed by the Ethiopia-backed TFG forces.

(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2007)