ADDIS ABABA, June 8 (Xinhuanet) -- More than 1,000 students of Ethiopia's Addis Ababa University (AAU) on Wednesday condemned the deadly violence which claimed more than 20 lives on Wednesday, blaming opposition supporters for the incident.

    In a six-point resolution issued under the name of AAU Students' Union, attaching petitions bearing the signatures of more than 1,000 students collected in three hours' time, the students said the university community should not be "disturbed" by supporters of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), the country's largest opposition party.

    On Wednesday, police and security forces in the capital opened fire on stone-throwing crowds. The police said they were stopping the mob from looting shops, robbing banks, attacking police and trying to free detainees in custody. At least 22 people were killed and 40 others wounded.

    The Ethiopia government blamed the CUD for inciting the worst violence seen in the capital in four years. However, the CUD denied it was behind the protests and ensuing violence.

    Tension has been rising in the extremely poor country since the May 15 parliamentary elections, with the opposition accusing the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) of vote-rigging.

    The ruling party, led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, retained control of parliament according to official election results that have not yet been ratified.

    United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan issued a statement on Wednesday, condemning the Wednesday unrest which resulted in the death of at least 22 people. He called on all sides concerned in Ethiopia to resolve their differences through dialogue and legal means. Enditem