AU welcomes Ethiopia's non-violence pact after deadly violence

[struggle4progress]

ADDIS ABABA, June 10 (Xinhuanet) -- The African Union (AU) said here Friday evening it welcomed a non-violence pact signed by Ethiopia's ruling and opposition parties after deadly clashes this week between police and protesters over the disputed May 15 parliamentary elections.

The pan-African body commended Ethiopia's three parties for "having reaffirmed their commitment to the successful and peaceful conclusion of the electoral process, in a manner that fully respects the wishes of the people, the rule of law and constitutional processes of the country," said a statement issued by AU Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konare.

On Friday, the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) reached a non-violence pact, saying that they would accept as binding decisions made by the election board and the courts on complaints of fraud during the polls.

Observers say the pact will be helpful to calm tensions that erupted into deadly violence, in which at least 26 people were killed on Wednesday in the capital. <snip>

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