MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia's prime minister promised thousands of war-weary Somalis peace and stability Friday as he formally took control of the battle-scarred capital for the first time since his government was formed two years ago.

Somali Prime Minister, Ali Mohamed Gedi, third left, and Deputy Prime Minister Hussein Aidid, right, with his delegate as he arrives in Mogadishu, Somalia, Friday, Dec 29, 2006. [AP]

Ali Mohamed Gedi drove through the streets of Mogadishu in a heavily armed convoy a day after Islamic fighters fled and his Ethiopian-backed troops seized the city.

"Today is the beginning of a new life, new stabilization and a new future for Somalia," Gedi told cheering residents.

As a sign of goodwill, President Abdullahi Yusuf and the Ethiopian government declared a 24-hour cease-fire to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha on Saturday.

But with violent protests in one neighborhood in support of the Islamic fighters who had vowed to establish a government based on the Quran, and the movement's leader promising to fight on from a key southern town, the task facing Somalia's UN-backed, secular government is immense.

There was a glimmer of hope after key Islamic officials traveled to Kenya, where the government had been hoping to foster peace negotiations. But Gedi ruled out the possibility of immediate talks with the Islamic movement.

"We cannot talk peace after all this bloodshed," he told The Associated Press.

Even before the rise of the Islamists, Gedi's government had been kept out of Mogadishu by clan violence. There was an attempt on his life during a rare trip to the city in November 2005.

On Friday, though, he was embraced. Waving Somali flags, thousands lined the streets and climbed on to buildings to catch a glimpse of their new leader in the seaside capital.

"This is a historic day for us," said Sahra Yusuf, a mother of three who was dressed in traditional white cloth. "This is a sign that Somalia will be able to stand on its own feet."

Amid tight security with marksmen on roof tops, Gedi was more realistic, appealing for help to rebuild a country ruined by 15 years of civil war and infighting. He also called for regional peacekeepers to help ensure further violence does not erupt.

Martial law was expected to be imposed across the country by parliament on Saturday.

The US State Department called for all Somalis to achieve "genuine national reconciliation" and reiterated its support for an African peacekeeping force to be deployed in the country.

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