Somalia's newly appointed defence minister on Monday ordered all former soldiers to register at designated military quarters.

Abdullahi Boqor Muse issued a decree calling on all "mentally and physically fit" members of the army of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre, who was overthrown in 1991, to register by next Saturday.

After nearly a decade without a functioning government, a new president, Abdiqassim Salad Hassan, was elected by a lengthy conference of Somali leaders which ended in neighbouring Djibouti in August.

The new leader appointed a transitional government last month. But several of Somalia's warlords, who between them had carved up control of the country, have opposed the new government.

The defence minister's decree followed a meeting of the government's national security committee on Sunday.

Sources close to the meeting said the committee discussed the need to accelerate the restoration of law and order.