Aimed at strengthening the effort to ensure lasting peace in the country, the Council of Ministers has ordered the draft bill that requests the establishment of two commissions namely reconciliation and, identity and administrative border affairs. Following the approval of the commissions by House of Peoples of Representatives, the members of the commissions who were appointed by Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed with an approval of the parliament were officially pledged to perform their responsibilities independently.
Last week, the prime minister addressed members of the two commissions about the government’s dedication in supporting them with no intervention on their works. The commissions comprised various scholars, public figures and religious leaders among others so that they are assumed to have public acceptance when pointing out mediating ideas. The commissions are mainly established to consult the House of Federation on the national issues that trigger conflicts among the people.
The premier noted that the government is endeavoring to ensure peace and deepening the reform in all sectors. The commissions, thus, are mainly intended to find out solution for the longstanding ethnic conflict through think thanks’ study. Similarly, various policy drafts and amendments are being carried out to avert the conflicts via strong institutions that can persistently endeavor to peace and democracy in the long run, Dr. Abiy stated.
Of course, there are some individuals who criticize the necessity of the commission and its members. However, why was the conflicts escalated through time? According to Anbese Fura, a Law Lecturer at Hawassa University, it was the government’s harsh response to the public demand that escalated the social instability and conflict. On the other hand, the country has been engulfed by various economic and political problems. Historical misunderstandings and misinterpretations were also additional problems that add to the social turmoil.
On the other hand, the weak structure among the government’s organs of the legislative, executive and judiciaryhas facilitated additional fertile ground to the instability. Most of the time, the parliament ratifies laws that has no public acceptance as the parliament by itself has no the recognition of the mass, he believed. Therefore, it has been ratifying laws such as the anti-terrorism law which were rejected by the people. The main target of the ratification of such laws is to silence the public demand by force, that’s why the protesters have been seen repeatedly breaking such laws, he noted.
However, the current major problem is related to ethnic-based demands and conflicts. The government had been extensively preaching ethnic based structure and diversity over unifying figures and historic experiences. The result of this distorted notion has brought widened ethnic conflicts which benefits the wrongdoers and broadly harm innocents. Accordingly, various peoples were died, displaced and there was also property damage so far. Therefore, if the situation continued with the same pace, it will get worsen [we might fail as a state], he urged.
Over the past four months, more than 200 peoples were died due to the instability and ethnic conflicts in Amhara, Beninshangul Gumuz, Ethiopian Somali, Oromia, and SNNPs states, a recent assessment conducted by the Ethiopian Human Rights Council indicated. The report also revealed that more than 1000 peoples also displaced in ethnic conflicts. Tragically, various educational institutions are also part of the conflict and as a result university students have been leaving their respective educational institutions. The report, therefore, urged the government to take legal measures on perpetrators and armed political parties to pacify the nation and rescue human rights.
Even today, there are some perpetrators who escalate such ethnic quarrels to keep up their misdoings in robbing the nation Anbese said, adding that the government must use its legitimate power to stabilize the nation. And the people should cooperate for its peace and stand against the manipulators who cause the instability.
Today, the new generation, the youth, is being involved in unnecessary group clashes ignoring the long-lived coexisting culture of the community. Habtamu Wondimu, Psychology Professor, Addis Ababa University, suggested that educational institutions must focus on practical life skills than preaching merely an academic theory. Both teachers and students must develop the culture of conflict management. And awareness raising programs ought to be organized in this regard.
The generation should have to have the positive understanding of others and raise relevant ideas about the country aspiring for better future. “The youth needs to have logical argument and tolerance to curb conventional misunderstandings. They should abstain from aggravating conflicts and provoking individuals’ disagreement to ethnic clash,” he recommended.
Likewise, Ministry of Peace is exerting efforts to bring various opposing parties together for a round table discussion aiming at digging out causes and solutions to the country’s instability, according to State Minister Almaz Mekonnen. Currently, The Ministry is also conducting a study on conflict triggering factors and possible solutions in six states by organizing experts. The study also includes the major causes for local displacement and the possible solutions.
“We have been working to coordinate pertinent bodies to bring about solution to country’s instability and recently various discussion forums have been undertaking in various universities so as to make the higher education students part of the solution,” she noted. The youth, thus must develop the culture of tolerance and consider differences as better development inputs than unnecessary quarrel. The ministry also finalized preparations to apply a Peace Anthem that would be usually sang following the national anthem in various public and educational institutions, she underlined.
Today Ethiopia seems on the right track of democracy striding through the suitable pathways of the reform including institutional restructures, law amendments, legal measures on criminals and correction of hateful propagandas on history by the government. Furthermore, the effort making to ensure peace and stability by forming commissions that mainly work on strengthening the relation among the people is a basic measure to overcome long lived grievances and grudges. However, the government ought to have strong stance to elongate these efforts despite the challenges from oldguards and others.
The Ethiopian Herald February 19/2019
BY YOHANES JEMANEH
