For immediate release:

Somali Regional State Diaspora in Minnesota, USA, and Somali Regional State Government delegation led by His Honorable Abdifitah Sheik Abdullahi, the Chairman of Ethiopian Somali People’s Democratic Party (ESPDP), held a historic meeting today (08/08/2010) in Minneapolis to renew their commitment to the peace and development of Somali Regional State of Ethiopia. Among the hundreds of participants of the Conference were scholars, students, numerous business individuals, and laypersons from almost every county in the State of Minnesota.

The Minneapolis Conference fully supported the peace accord signed on 07/29/2010 by the Ethiopian Government and the United Western Somali Liberation Front (UWSLF), and the ongoing peace talks between the Government and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), in which Mr. Abdifitah has contributed a lot to its success. The participants discussed ways and means by which their people in the region could achieve peace, good governance and development.

A. Peace

1. Participants vehemently welcomed the Government’s peace program, which is open to all armed opposition groups in Somali Regional State that shun violence and respect the Constitution of the country and are willing to join in building a peaceful Somali Regional State. Somali Regional State Diaspora in Minnesota expressed its support for the Government’s willingness to talk to every opposition group about peace.

B. Good Governance

2. Good governance is the base of the strategy to achieve stability and prosperity in Somali Regional State. Improvement in this area should not only increase the confidence of the people in Somali Regional State in their own future, but also strengthen security improvements and economic and social development. Somali Regional State Diaspora praised the various activities made by Somali Regional State Government in order to ensure good governance.

C. Development

3. Participants greatly welcomed both the Federal and Regional Governments’ integrated development agenda in Somali Regional State, which is focused on broad based economic growth driven by the region’s priority programs on agriculture and rural development, human resources development and infrastructure development. Somali Regional State Diaspora in Minnesota emphasized that success of these areas depend on the creation of a strong enabling environment for private sector investment, including public and private partnerships in social and economic development. Participants recognized that the development challenges facing the region require considerable investments and the mobilization of financial resources from Somali Regional State Diaspora.

Finally, the participants congratulated the newly elected President of Somali Regional State, His Excellency Abdi Mohamud Omar. Somali Regional State Diaspora in Minnesota applauded the huge contributions made in the region’s peace and security by President Abdi Mohamud Omar, and ESPDP Chairman, Abdifitah Sheik Abdullahi. Participants acknowledged their role in building peaceful and prosperous Somali Regional State.

Somali Regional State Diaspora in Minnesota, USA.

• RELATED LINKS: OGADEN/SOMALI Ethiopian news

- Cakaara News
- Jigjiga Net
- Kilil 5
- Ogaden Online
- Eegga