Mogadishu, Somalia, Feb 25, SPA -- President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmedtold Somalia's warlords and militia groups to put downtheir weapons and instead work together to rebuild thecountry that has been devastated by a 14-year conflict. Yusuf is in Somalia for the first time since he tookoffice in October in neighboring Kenya, where hisgovernment is based because it considers Somalia toodangerous. In his first speech in Somalia since taking office, Yusuflate Thursday told thousands of residents of Jowhar thathis government was committed to relocating to the capitalMogadishu, 90 kilometers (55 miles) to the south, becausethe majority of its residents were for peace. His speech was broadcast live on local radio. "It is now time to put down our weapons and stand side byside in rebuilding our nation," Yusuf said, after watchinga play about Somalis' suffering during the conflict. "You have told me you want to become the new capitaluntil Mogadishu is pacified," Yusuf said, referring to thegovernment's plans to move to a temporary capital in caseMogadishu proves to be too unsafe to relocate to. "I want to tell you that the capital of Somalia isMogadishu ... and we are going there to change thesituation in Mogadishu," Yusuf said. Somalia has not had an effective central government sinceclan-based warlords ousted Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Then they turned on each other, sinking the Horn of Africa nation of 7 million into anarchy. Yusuf is on a six-town meet-the-people tour of Somaliawith his Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi to assessconditions for relocating Somalia's government andparliament that was formed after intricate and difficultnegotiations in Kenya last year. They will visit Mogadishu, where residents are eager tosee the government take office. Some Mogadishu residents,however, are opposed to government plans to have Africanpeacekeepers because of bitter memories of the deploymentof U.S. and United Nations troops in the 1990s that sparkedsome of the worst fighting in Somalia's 14-year conflict. "We know that 98 percent of the people of Mogadishu wantpeace. When we are fighting for the rights of our people,the few evil ones cannot overcome us," Yusuf said. "I am courageously telling you that we have called forforeign troops deployment in Somalia for the sake ofpeacekeeping and peacemaking in Somalia and a fewindividuals cannot stand in our way," Gedi told Jowharresidents. On Feb. 5, Gedi's Cabinet asked the African Union and ArabLeague to send between 5,000 and 7,500 troops with aone-year mandate to protect the government as it organizesa police force and army. Days later, the African Union Peace and Security Councilauthorized a regional grouping to deploy a peace supportmission to Somalia. Since the government announced its request, there havebeen several demonstrations against foreign troops inMogadishu and other southern Somalia towns. Yusuf and Gedi left Jowhar with their 47-member delegationFriday morning to go to the western Somali town of BeletWeyne, 300 kilometers (186 miles) north of Mogadishu.--SPA1319 Local Time 1019 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/242203