Say no to violence

This year’s world Peace Day was observed over the weekend in a world with less peace. In the region, people have died because of ethnic violence in Kenya between competing communities in the Tana Delta area while in Somalia warlords, have for the last two decades, torn the country apart.In neighboring DRC, militias such as the FDLR have wrecked havoc with continuous reports of rape, torture and killing of innocent civilians.Multiple rounds of talks are yet to find solutions to long-running bitter disputes that have brought Sudan and South Sudan to the brink of renewed conflict.In Syria what started as an extension of the Arab spring has turned into an 18-month long bloody civil war with activists now putting the dead at 23,000.Conflicts are ravaging Mali, while in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other Muslim countries irate Muslim faithful are currently at it with American embassies over a film that depicted Prophet Mohammad as philander. US Ambassador to Libya was killed to that effect.Sadly, despite the ongoing democratic dispensation, elections in some countries on the continent have previously ended in violence.Elections should not be used as platform to create mayhem among the people. We should all say no to violence.Countries’ put constitutions in place to prevent the kinds of anger and political struggles that cause violence. They should be respected.Violence erodes investors’ confidence and yet we need investors to create jobs and fight unemployment.Also, political parties and supporters should refrain from inciting violence, especially the youth during electioneering.

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Say no to violence