21.   In the past two weeks, the religious militia have captured the three eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Laghman and Kunar from government or neutral forces.

22.   A Canadian, Raymond Chretien, is the UN envoy to the region, shuttling between Kinshasa and Kigali, to try to win agreement for a neutral force.

23.   A regional African meeting in Nairobi urged a neutral force to be set up and pledged to contribute men.

24.   A Taliban commander asked the neutral force to be composed of the Taliban army.

25.   A meeting of regional African leaders in Nairobi on Tuesday called for a neutral force to be put in place to safeguard humanitarian corridors.

26.   Carrying no colonial baggage in Africa, Canada sees itself as well-placed to lead the sort of neutral force required for such a delicate mission.

27.   But while it has welcomed the idea of a neutral force, it does not want it operating from its territory.

28.   Ethiopian Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin said Ethiopia was ready to contribute to the neutral force.

29.   The OAU attacked the indecision of the UN Security Council and the lack of attention given to a proposal made last week in Nairobi for a neutral force.

30.   The OAU conflict prevention committee in Addis Ababa on Monday reiterated a week-old call for a neutral multinational force to intervene.