Africa: Not so willing to be a coalition:ICU Guerrilla action begins

Africa Ignores Ethiopia's plea for support
"ETHIOPIA, one of the poorest countries in the world, cannot afford to keep its troops in Somalia much longer and is ill-equipped to play the role of peacekeeper there, the Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, has told the Ethiopian parliament.

Two hours after Mr Meles's speech on Tuesday, two Ethiopian soldiers were gunned down in an ambush in southern Somalia in one of the first strikes of an anticipated anti-Ethiopian guerilla campaign.

An Islamic Courts Union fighter shot the two Ethiopian solders while they were crossing a bridge in Jilib, about 400 kilometres south-west of Mogadishu, Somalia's capital. Witnesses said the fighter ran into town and was quickly surrounded by Ethiopian troops, who killed him.

Mr Meles told parliament he did not plan for Ethiopian troops, to remain in Somalia for much longer - possibly only a few more weeks. "

The spirit is willing, the will is weak:
Diplomats in the region were hurrying to cobble together an African peacekeeping solution, but despite murmurs of commitment from several countries, including Uganda, South Africa and Nigeria, a force has yet to materialise.