Members of a new nominated parliament for Somalia have been sworn in after lengthy talks between rival factions.
The ceremony in Kenya went ahead without a few dozen of the planned 275 members after "disputes" over their selection, officials said.
Watched by international mediators, MPs pledged to defend their country and "work honestly for the Somali people".
Mediators hope the assembly will be a key step towards restoring order after years of anarchy and violence.
The new body is supposed to elect a president who would set up a new administration in the capital Mogadishu.
The violence has driven Somalia to the bottom of most lists of social indicators. Life expectancy for women is 48. For men it is 45.
Before Sunday's ceremony in Kenya - the host for protracted peace talks - the inauguration of a transitional parliament had been postponed three times since July.
Challenge
Reuters news agency said delegates cheered wildly and clapped as members were sworn in while holding copies of the Koran at the United Nations' headquarters in Nairobi.
But at least 45 members of the 275-seat body were not present. Quoting unnamed officials, the Associated Press news agency said the dispute was over who would select 45 parliamentarians from one of the four major clans supposed to be represented.
One of the chief negotiators, Kenyan diplomat Bethuel Kiplagat, praised the efforts of those present.
"If we have come this far together, for heaven's sake, let's finish the race," he was quoted as saying.
In a statement read out to the gathering, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan stressed "that this is the beginning of a long awaited reconciliation period", Reuters news agency reported.
"He [Annan] expresses the hope that the new parliament will meet its first challenge with the necessary resolve that is required for the selection of a president for Somalia and for the realisation of governance structures for the country."
Long path to peace
There have been 13 unsuccessful attempts to start a constitutional process.
This latest attempt by the East African organisation, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), backed by the United Nations, began to seek a resolution in October 2002.
The warring factions and main politicians signed a peace accord and a transitional charter in January 2004.
Under a deal finally thrashed out in protracted talks in Kenya, each of Somalia's four major clans were given 61 seats in the new assembly, with the remainder going to smaller clans.
Since the collapse of the central government led by ousted President Siad Barre in 1991, the north-west part of the country declared itself the independent Republic of Somaliland, and the central region of Puntland declared itself autonomous.