BY MENGESHA AMARE
Safety of a given nation must be maintained by own police, defense force, legal system, not by outsiders. This doesn’t mean that the prime role of the general public along this line is overlooked; rather well featured. Yes, physical security is a basic precondition for stability, serenity, social wellbeing and national health. Thus, crucial tasks for the security institutions have to be well consolidated using indigenous mechanisms of law and order. Besides, the security forces should be provided with appropriate means of participating in peace talks.
“Producing a security force living up to national stability and societal wellbeing is providing the country with an unwavering foundation on which every social, economic and political spheres highly depend. This can be made true though dialogue full of civility,” said Muferiat Kamil, Peace Minister.
She also said that national forum has to be recurrently organized with a view to raising awareness about the significance of unity, peaceful co-existence, fraternity, cooperation, among others, across the nation thereby creating a prosperous nation in all aspects.
We have so far focused on community based and scholar-oriented consultative forums to well equip citizens of all sorts including security institutions to ensure sustainable peace and tranquility in the country.
Such an inviting approach helps citizens of all walks of life address disputes ranging from minor clashes to very trying challenges in a very civilized manner and nurture the time-tested social assets, peaceful coexistence, hospitality and other priceless values by which the generation from time to time can be shaped.
“Our important social and cultural values have not yet been given due emphasis so far; and we are expected to nurture the multicultural and multilingual assets of ours which have been seriously overlooked for a number of reasons,” said Muferiat.
According to her, the leadership has, especially as of the past two plus years, started responding to a rage of social, economic and political quests forwarded from the society centering peace and stability though we are left with a long journey to trek so as to hit the peak.
“As the main problem in this country is the lack of peace. The Ministry of Peace will be working hard along with all concerned to make peace prevail in the country,” Dr. Abiy stated once.
It is well recognized that Dr. Abiy has made peace with neighbor Eritrea and caused innumerable transformations to help the country come up with economic, social, political freedom since his appointment though the journey has been escorted by ups and downs.
He further said, “We are looking forward to creating a police or defense force purely belong to the country and its people; not a machine of a given party or group of people to be twisted as easily as possible or flow to the direction interested groups prefer. That is why we are too busy to transform sector offices especially the security ones.”
The idea of the PM well solidifies Muferiat’s concern, indeed.
Muferiat also underscored that the time taking nature of efforts to change the political uncertainty, and conflicts that have engulfed in the country, have started bearing fruits. She said that there is a continuous effort to change the existing scenario in the country full of hatred politics and ethnic conflict with a view to bringing reconciliation among conflicting parties and the society in general.
The Minister also explained that there are different plans the office would implement via engaging close to 30 million citizens in a national consultation; accordingly, a training document is being prepared.
She further stated that the Ministry is working on identifying issues related to national consensus, creating a common history and narrative so that citizens can have the same or similar ideas at a national level.
“We are working to create consensus among political parties and scholars from the perspective of the country’s history. That is the top objective of the consultative forum being held at a grassroots community and scholar’s levels. We have identified historical issues from different parts of the country to be tabled for discussion.”
Regarding security forces and intelligence agencies, Muferiat expressed that they are carrying out a major overhaul that would make them more collaborative and friendly to each other than ever.
She further said that the government, contestant political parties, civil society organizations, the general public, among others, have to make synergy to come up with a peaceful nation of which the posterity to come proud via seeking a variety of possible means to solve all the potential predicaments across the nation.
As far as the disagreements with regard to the political scenario are concerned, there is no any other viable means to run a healthy and lucrative politics in the country than holding peaceful dialogue and round table discussions full of civility as politicians’ prime concern is Ethiopia; hence, sitting down for discussion is an incomparable path to trek towards a democratic summit, even civilized discussion is not an impossible task.
She further said, “Yes, whenever any social, economic or political activities are undertaken, all active players of such a decisive game have to center public demands and prioritize national agendum. If truth be told, leaders should put the people’s needs before their personal or group gains.”
It is well recognized that root causes of all disputes and clashes can be well bridged, dried for good if possible, through all-encompassing discussion.
Having a different political outlook could by no means be a curse in a multicultural nation like Ethiopia; rather it is a blessing, and clear manifestation of the commitment of the nation, as well as its possession of options for the public to be provided with to build a well democratized country. The nation and its people must always come at the forefront whenever any political issue arises.
As learnt from Muferiat, much of the efforts geared towards ensuring peace and stability in the country are specially targeting at the youth as they are change engines who are potentially capable of taking over the nation with its future.
Hence, delivering country to the next generation which is peaceful, democratic and every citizens can live in a harmonious way is the most precious present that helps all citizens lead a pacific, prosperous and confortable life across the nation.
She also highlighted the efforts made by the federal government to appease the odd issues that happened to the different parts of the country at different times and hinder the serious ones from being escalated to the worst.
According to Muferiat, the issue of coming up with lasting peace in the country should not be left solely to the government, especially to the ministry of peace, the defense force, police institutions, as well as other concerned bodies. Rather it badly demands the amalgamated effort s of all. Even she once accentuated the need to open doors for a dialogue and round table discussion as far as political leaders are concerned.
“Politically, for instance, she said, it is a highly denounced act to throw unsolicited words one another instead of coming up with convincing justifications for the issues under discussion and taking the essence of governing ideologies into account. Such disgusting utterances by media outlets which are contributing a lot to a range of futile attempts and exacerbating disputes have to be condemned and political parties should refrain themselves from provocations, intimidations, unfounded allegations, among others, to cultivate peace and serenity in the country as a whole.”
The Ethiopian Herald 16 January 2021
