Somali Americans rally for peace

WASHINGTON, DC – Somali-Americans in the Washington D.C metropolitan area held a demonstration on Friday December 15 at the United States Department of State and expressed their opposition to the lifting of arms embargo and sending of foreign troops into Somalia.

The demonstrators congregated with the message of peace and unity. The demonstration was not intended to support or oppose any particular group including the Transition Federal Government (TFG) or the Somali Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC).

The demonstrators expressed their deep sadness and frustration over the current situation in Somalia. They unanimously agreed that the warring groups should support peace and dialogue and return to the negotiation table to avert the looming war and alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis facing Somalia.

Although the demonstration was mainly organized by the Somali-American community in the Washington D.C area, other concerned groups also participated including members of the Ethiopian community. The main speakers of the event included Asha Ahmed Abdalla, a current member of the Somali Transitional Parliament; El-Hajj Mauri Saalakhan, Director of the Peace and Justice Foundation, and Sheikh Abdalla Abdalla, a member of the Somali-American community in Virginia

A team of three members of the community met with the officials of the US State Department.
The message was simply to encourage and support constructive dialogue to resolve the current crisis in Somalia. The team also expressed their concern regarding the United State’s support of the U.N Resolution Number 1725 (2006) and the presence of the Ethiopian troops inside Somalia.

The team articulated their opposition to the proposed regional peacekeeping forces by the UN and its negative impact on Somalia and the region. They requested the support of the United States Government to press for the immediate withdrawal of all the foreign forces currently in Somalia and rejected the interference of neighboring countries and the violation of Somalia’s sovereignty. Furthermore, they advocated for the continuation of the Khartoum peace dialogue and the reconciliation process to achieve peace and prosperity for Somalia and the region.

The State Department Officials acknowledged the team’s concerns, and expressed that they have consistently advised Ethiopian government to refrain meddling with Somalia’s internal affairs. In addition, the team encouraged the State Department officials to do more to avert the deadly war that could plunge Somalia back into new conflict and thus, engulf the whole region.
The team went on to say that the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affair’s recent negative remarks regarding Somalia, were ill-advised and could exacerbate the current situation and hinder future dialogue and reconciliation.

The State Department officials were receptive to the team’s concerns and the message of peace they delivered. The team concluded the meeting by thanking the officials and promising continue communication.

In conclusion, both the demonstration and the meeting with the State Department officials were successful. The Somali-Americans in the Washington D.C area spoke loudly and clearly and have shown unity and deep concern over the new conflict in Somalia and the region. We urge our Somali brothers and sisters in the Diaspora community to join us in search for a lasting peace and tranquility for Somalia.

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