New York  - The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday welcomed the new Somali government of President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, and urged him to reach a political settlement in the decades- long conflict in the Horn of Africa nation.

Sheikh Ahmed, a moderate Islamist, was sworn in as Somalia's new president on Saturday. His predecessor resigned last month, allowing for a peaceful transition in the war-torn country.

The Security Council urged the new president to move promptly to form a government of national unity "at the earliest possible date." (dpa)