As Albert Einstein, the brilliant scientist, once said, “Peace is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of justice, of law, of order—in short, of government,” a nation can experience sustainable peace when the rule of law is ensured. And peace or absence of conflicts and wars is what every nation across the globe needs.
Unfortunately, a glance at history indicates that since the end of World War II, over 50 million people have been killed in more than 250 major wars. And the violent conflicts that erupted in almost every part of the globe, including the wars in Syria and Afghanistan have left hundreds of millions injured, homeless and/or bereaved. Some wars are fought over religion, nationalism or disputed territories. Some are due to revenge for past grievances while the rest are conflicts that result from deep internal divisions. Whatsoever their causes, wars are not only loss of lives; they are incalculably destructive even for the conquerors. Researches indicate that World War II cost $4.1 trillion in today’s dollars.
Likewise, what is most universal seems to be local as well though the magnitude is insignificant when compared to that of the global. For instance, Ethiopia has been experiencing conflicts that shattered the age old traditional values of peaceful coexistence and cohabitation among multiple communities due to a few irresponsible extremists.
The growing belief is the recurrent conflicts are due to the failure of the government to carry out its duties. This along with the response from the law enforcement body has deeply disappointed the public who are demanding the government to uphold the rule of law. Certainly, the rule of law implies the invulnerability of the law and accountability of all citizens including the law makers themselves to strictly respect the law.
Wisely, the government ought to enforce the rule of law in order to make the democracy a reality since the rule of law reinforces democracy by ensuring the protection of the democratic rights of all citizens. Though it seems that democracy is expanding in this country, the rule of law must precede. At least, unless the balance is maintained between the two, there could be a good ground for anarchy and ultimate wider civil strife. Hence, the rule of law is an urgent issue.
Indeed, the assurance of the rule of law would determine the extent to which the peoples of the nation can rightfully exercise their democratic rights. Moreover, resorting to vigilant justice is tantamount to mere obstruction of justice because justice could be served only under the context of the rule of law. It is no doubt that the citizens had suffered for ages from lack of justice at the courts of law under government executive bodies which were originally commissioned to ensure justice for all.
More importantly, the government should design strategies to prevent, manage or resolve violent conflicts through clear analysis of their causes and potential trajectory. This is because, there has always been, and always will be, conflict between human beings over differing views of politics, economics, religion, culture and pretty much everything else. Indeed, developing strategies to handle conflicts is so crucial.
All in all, as the history tells us, we cannot create conflict zero nations. Hence, ensuring the rule of law is crucial to curb the possible consequences of recurrent conflicts. When the nation upholds the order of law, democracy shall surely flourish for both are inseparably interwoven.
The Ethiopian Herald, December 3/2019
