An African Union summit aimed at securing troop commitments for a peacekeeping force for Somalia has ended without resolving the issue.
Much of the second day of the AU summit was dominated by discussions on the need to urgently raise 8,000 troops.
However Ghanaian President and new AU Chairman, John Kufuor, has said that only 4,000 of the required force has been pledged so far.
Despite extensive discussions at the summit, the number firmly committed appears not to have increased, although pledges of logistical support have been made.
Uganda, Nigeria and Burundi have pledged most of the troops so far, with an unknown number also committed by Ghana and Malawi. Zambia is also considering a contribution.
The force is required to fill a vacuum when Ethiopian troops withdraw. Ethiopia, with the tacit support of the US, intervened in the Horn of Africa nation last month in an effort to oust Islamists who had ruled much of Somalia since June 2006.
The challenge facing the proposed AU force was underlined yesterday when a series of blasts hit northern areas of the Somali capital Mogadishu.
In response, Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf has said his government will shortly call a 'reconciliation conference' of clan, religious and political leaders to discuss the country's future.
Europe, the US, the UN and Ethiopia have all called on Mr Yusuf to open up to as many factions as possible, particularly moderate Islamists and powerful clan leaders, in order to stabilise the country.
The Somali President said his administration was 'committed to doing whatever is necessary to ensure that a credible and all-inclusive government is set up'.
