Musa Sudi Yalahow told AFP here that militia commanders of warlord Hussein Mohamed Aidid were hiring escort vehicles with the intention of bringing new weapons to Mogadishu from central Somalia.

"Aidid's men are hiring gunmen to escort an assortment of weapons to Mogadishu to strengthen his powers, but my men have been alerted to oppose this unholy mission," Yalahow said.

Warning that the arrival of such weapons would trigger new inter-clan fighting in Mogadishu and the surrounding area, Yalahow said: "Aidid's faction would be held responsible for the consequences of such renewed battles."

Yalahow, an Abgal leader and former deputy to warlord Ali Mahdi Mohamed, who controls enclaves in southern and northern parts of the divided Somali capital, accused Aidid of planning to attack rival fiefdoms.

Yalahow reiterated charges that weapons were brought to the central Somalia village of Faah by a ship from Eritrea in mid-June.

Another warlord, Osman Hassan Ali "Atto", also said Sunday that he would take severe measures, including the use of force, to prevent Aidid from bringing new weapons to Mogadishu, warning: "We are monitoring Aidid's weapons' strategy and are ready to repulse his vision of rearming his militia."

Aidid's faction could not be reached for comment on the new allegations.

Aidid, whose fighters lost a large quantity of weapons during a major battle on June 6 in the south-central town of Baidoa with the local Rahanwein Resistance Army (RRA), is trying to upgrade his militia's capability in the area, observers said.

But Aidid's Habr Gedir-dominated United Somali Congress/Somali National Alliance faction has accused Ethiopia of spearheading the attack and capture of Baidoa and of arming the rival RRA clans, who dominate Baidoa and the surrounding region.

Ethiopia and Eritrea have both denied any military involvement in Somalia, despite confirmation by credible witnesses at the scene.

Libyan state-run television reported Friday that the Horn of Africa rivals had agreed to "an immediate halt to all military operations" ahead of signing a comprehensive cease-fire deal.

An adviser to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki said Saturday the principle of a cease-fire had long been accepted by Eritrea, but a deal had not yet been reached.

"We have always been saying that there is no sense in this war, and there must be a cessation of hostilities, but I don't think we have reached this kind of agreement," Yemane Gebremeskel told The Associated Press.

The Ethiopian Foreign Ministry expressed hope that Libya's efforts would bear fruit, but did not refer to any immediate halt in military operations.

"Ethiopia welcomes the ongoing efforts by Libya and other friendly countries to facilitate the full implementation of the OAU framework agreement," a ministry statement said.

Eritrea and Ethiopia have accepted a framework agreement by the Organization of African Unity for an immediate cease-fire and an end the war but differ on its implementation.

Reacting to media reports in the region that it was near a Libya-brokered peace settlement with its former province, Ethiopia said Eritrea's withdrawal was a ``crucial first step.''

``Ethiopia has all along insisted that the OAU Framework Agreement which calls for the withdrawal of Eritrean troops from all Ethiopian territories that they have occupied since May 6, 1998 and for the full restoration of the Ethiopian civil administration of those areas, as a crucial first step for the peaceful resolution of the conflict,'' a foreign ministry statement said.

The statement said it welcomed Libya's efforts in attempting to get the OAU (Organisation of African Unity) plan implemented. But crucially, it did not say Ethiopia agreed with Libyan proposals.

However, it accused Eritrea of doing little to implement the OAU plan, which Eritrea has said it accepts.

Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in 1993. A border dispute erupted into a full blown war last year, and fighting between the two former allies has persisted since.