BY MENGESHA AMARE
Ethiopia constitutes ten regional states and two city administrations which have been provided with an autonomous discretion to entirely administer their affairs.
Though a range of progresses have been recorded in these states, sometimes disagreements and conflicts have been witnessed because of a number of reasons most probably on shared resources and bucolic meadows.
Besides, local conflicts in border sharing places in Ethiopia have been common phenomena since time immemorial. They are often characterized by antagonism over grazing land and water resources as well as by livestock raiding.
Targeting at addressing the disputes, be they are minor or grand, all states have convened at Bahir Dar town and discussed a number of national affairs in general and states issues in general.
The conference was organized under the theme, “Meaningful vicinity for Ethiopian prosperity or amicable neighborhood for Ethiopian affluence.” The cumulative effect of being good neighbor is the backbone of laying a foundation to create a peaceful and prosperous nation. Such an august meeting can help states bring about lasting peace among regional states and across the nation.
Speaking at the meeting, Speaker, House of Federation, Adem Farah said, “Our weaknesses most of the time emanate from our less attention to running human-oriented activities, not producing generation shaped with national vision and patriotic sentiment via human development schemes with a view to fostering national prosperity as well as overlooking national activities that can cement unity and fraternity.
These factors have so far their own contribution to the sluggish pace of Ethiopian development and prosperity journey as they lag the tempo behind.”
According to Adem, all states are expected to capitalize on pillars of change and opulence such as democracy, good governance, unity, equality and fair administration. “We all are expected to continue building the country via bridging gaps, leveling loopholes and correcting weaknesses observed in due course of running a range of activities at national or regional levels.
If the people-to people relations are smooth, they reach at a level to solve minor clashes in a civilized manner themselves on the spot, and they are willing to peacefully share resources, it is also easy to foster trade, investment, growth and development in all aspects.”
He further stated that all states sharing boundaries have been participating in the discussion to make lasting solutions to the problems, which have been created so far, and put an abiding principle with which both parties comply and work for common growth and change.
The nation requires peace, development, good governance and patriotic generation who are committed and eager to bring about change in all aspects.
According to Adem Farah, all states have to move in unison and share best experiences with a view to attaining constitutional objectives. These constitutional objectives become a reality via discharging respective responsibilities.
As learnt from Adem, what was done between Oromia and Somali states can be a case in point in this regard as they formulated a five-year strategic approach to set up a mechanism in a bid to make long-lasting solutions to the recurrently created border problems in the presence of opinion elders, prominent elders and other concerned bodies. This is really an exemplary move and a promising step to easily deal with the problems created for various reasons.
From the best practice gained in due course of applying this, other states are expected to come up with preeminent remedy drawing important lessons from these regions.
The meeting predominantly convened State Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs of Oromia, Amhara, Tigray, Afar, Benishangul-Gumuz and others to well deal with the root causes of problems created so far at border areas and sort out what were the steps taken to bring about viable solutions to the problems.
Amhara State Chief Agegnehu Teshager said that if we cooperate and work hard to consolidate our strength, our enemies respect us. Whenever we widen gaps because of each and every minor case, enemies of ours or those who wouldn’t like our country’s peace, progress and success take advantage of the steeplechases we create and try to accomplish their hidden agendum.
He further stated that disputes do have their own economic impact as they have most of the time caused a continuing process that results in some form of retaliation.
“We have to be well aware of all the tricks of our foes. We should be nifty and orderly enough to level leeway that can source confrontation. It is enough for us to focus on minor differences. So long as we all are working for the same country, as its weakness weakens us and its strength gives us all courage and moral to work further for future change, we all have to painstakingly look into issues and device sustainable solutions if problem arises, to have a great nation, which could by no means be infiltrated by anti-peace elements.”
Agegnehu further said, “Our unity should be well reinvigorated and the leadership must come closer more than ever before, discuss problems and device resilient solutions to the glitches. Leadership matters to bridge gaps and strengthen people to people relations to push our country steps forward.
There might always rivalry and antagonistic gesture among people unless leaders can come together and get the sources of conflicts dried well via framing practicable mechanisms to address problems, be they are minor or big ones.
Yes, he said, the society never clashes. It is the respective leaders peculiarly who are not responsible for the wellbeing of the community and lack patriotic spirit towards their country time and again create havoc.
He said, “The society resembles leaders. Coming closer and bridge difference is the best approach to make a transformation in all aspects.”
Interestingly, commended Adem, “We Ethiopians are familiar with the most traditional dispute-resolution process of our civil justice system: litigation and trial with a judge or jury deciding who is right or wrong in which some can be winners and others losers with no reservation as they trust in dependable elderly, fellow citizens and the adjudicatory system.”
As negotiation and intercession are the most well-known means to reconcile whenever people are involved in a family or neighborhood dispute, these processes should be taken into account. Besides, settlement and compromise have long been favored in the legal system, he added.
Undeniably, conflicts over the use of lawn, grazing land, shared fertile land and over a range of resources are common in many border areas in our country.
Participants discussed the challenges faced by border sharing peoples in a rapidly changing world, and their adaptations to new ways of life.
Agegnehu further said, “Most importantly, education is a much-needed service in all areas in general and in dispute prone place in particular. A range of mechanisms among the society should be developed in conjunction with other initiatives specifically aim at addressing the core causes of conflicts.”
In a nut shell, since all Ethiopians are endowed with a number of important socio-cultural settings, genuine co-existence, fraternity and sympathetically framed humanity, they have to well nurture all values and pass down to generations.
Especially the border sharing community, who have in one way or another been susceptible to conflicts and trivial confrontations, must be provided with awareness raising schemes to help them develop indigenous conflict resolution mechanisms. This should be the very issue that needs to be focused.
The Ethiopian Herald February 16/2021
