Delivering the goods

The African Union has demonstrated its commitment to its founding principles by restoring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of a member state.
It was not too long ago that Africa stood aside helplessly as sundry parts including small Indian Ocean states, were routinely destabilized by small bands of mercenaries.
The A.U. has confirmed to any doubters out there that it is a force to reckon with as now it has the political will and military clout to uphold its principles.
The Indian Ocean island state of the Comoros, for the last eight months had to endure the brazen secession of Anjuan, an island taken hostage by a renegade solider. The Comoros were unable to deal with the situation and called upon the African Union, as is its right as a member state.
The A.U. quickly assembled a coalition of African power which included Tanzania, Sudan and Libya, supported Comorian troops and on Tuesday, March 25, the Comoro archipelago was re-united. Bravo A.U.! Long live African solidarity and good bye to non-African solutions to African problems!
Now, on to the much more critical situation in Darfur, the A.U's role in the combined force and the hugely important Ethiopian contribution to the overall effort.
At this point, we commend the Sudanese government for allowing the combined A.U./UN peace keeping force to enter Darfur and look forward to the speediest success of the mission with the continued co-operation of the Sudan, of course.
As far as the people of Darfur are concerned, the arrival of a meaningful and robust AU/UN force can not come any sooner. Darfur remains the greatest challenge to face the A.U since its establishment in 2002 as a robust evolvement and expansion of the OAU - which had been politically successful but without the teeth to enforce its resolutions.
Darfur is a litmus test for the A.U. (as well as for the UN) and a successful resolution to the horrifying and bloody internecine warfare will loudly signal to the world that Africa has taken control of its destiny.
Contributing a force that is the largest ever deployment abroad in recent Ethiopian military history, our nation is a key component of the historic AU/UN force.
The history of Ethiopian military missions on overseas deployment began in Korea in 1950 only five years after Ethiopia became a founding member of the new United Nations- an organization that replaced the hypocritical (especially to Ethiopia) League of Nations.
In 1960, Ethiopian soldiers were again called upon by the UN to the former Zaire-civil war had erupted and the popular elected leader and Pan Africanist Patrice Lumumba was assassinated.
Calm was restored after yet another exemplary mission accomplished by the Ethiopian contingent.
It is an honor that Ethiopia has assumed such a prominent role and testament to the trust Africa and the people and government of the Sudan have in Ethiopia. We only hope that the eclectic and harmonious composition of Ethiopia's troops - drawn from a diverse pool of faiths and peoples - will be a vivid lesson to the warring parties in Darfur, of the value of co-existence amid diversity.