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Somali-Ethiopians fervently denounced the violence stimulated by Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) hardliners to reach their political ambitions through violence and turn the country into the Dargue era, during in a meeting sponsored by the Somali Peace and Justice Center (SPJC) held in Minneapolis on 11/23/05.

The director of the Somali Peace and Justice Center (SPJC), Mr. Abdullahi Khalif-Gariile said, �we view with disdain the wicked and callous attempts by the CUD to violently seize power.�

Speaking in the meeting, Mr. Abdullahi Khalif-Gariile said, �it wouldn�t be enough to just denounce violence without denouncing its pillars.� He continued to say that, by their actions, CUD has demonstrated its true intentions, to acquire power by any means necessary, even at the expense of thousands of lives. This present action, as well as its past disposition, renders them no different than Mengistu Haile Mariama, the monster who displaced us from our homes.

The intention of CUD is not only to disrupt and then take over the government, but also to stop the normal functions of the general public; their call to the public not to conduct businesses with some enterprises is good example to show who they are.

Mr. Abdullahi Khalif-Gariile has told the participants that if peace has to prevail in Ethiopia the veterans of the old dictator and the promoters of monarchy should never be given the opportunity to run for office legally, let alone to lead a nation of nations. Those with the old mentality of one nation, one people, one religion, and one language in a country like Ethiopia with multicultural society should never be brought back, he demanded.

He has said that their desire to change the current constitution even before the election took place was clear indication of what CUD was all up-to.

Mr. Abdullahi advised the participants now that CUD has lost the election back home, we must make them loss their campaign to damage the image of the nation here in the West.

In the end of the meeting the participants had requested from the Director of the Somali Peace and Justice Center, Mr. Abdullahi Khalif-Gariile to make phone calls or send letters to the Somali community elders back home in order to speed up the expected peace talks between the government and the ONLF.

The Director said he accepted the request of the participants and told them he will exert his utmost efforts to help bring peace back home, he reminded them that the main reason behind the establishment of Somali Peace and Justice Center (SPJC) was, among others, to encourage peace and speak out against the creation of chaos back home.


Peace and Justice Center
Minneapolis, MN. USA
E-mail; [email protected]