Africa: Africa's New Standing Army Primed For Next Year

As the increasing military tension in the Horn of Africa threatens to escalate into a new war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the 53-member African Union (AU) plans to establish its first-ever standing army sometime next year. The proposed African Standby Force (ASF) - to be set up with logistical support from Western nations - is designed primarily for military and peacekeeping missions in the war-ravaged continent.