Photo: Somali militiamen stand at the food distribution outside El Barde. These militiamen are loyal to the local headman, who himself moves with the tides in the fighting between the Ethiopian-backed government and Islamist insurgents. (David McGuffin/CBC)From Foreign Policy Blog:
A series of troubling events are positioning Somalia for a complete collapse. In a place where things "couldn't be worse," they are about to.
First, Ethiopian troops -- which came into Somalia in 2006 and installed a transitional government -- will leave by the end of the year.
Now, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says the weak African Union Peacekeeping force is leaving too.
One of the main Islamic political leaders from the Ethiopia-ousted government -- Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed -- just came back from exile.
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My Comment: Mission futile .... yup .... that about summarizes Somalia.