BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
Needless to say peace and security is an essential factor of human life. A peaceful and secure environment is critical to every society since it affects all aspects of economic and social development in a country, and is a necessary ingredient to the realization of human rights.
Without peace and security, let alone ensuring development goals, performing simple daily activities is challenging.
Over the past few years, and even before, Ethiopia has gone through a number of peace and security challenges. Owing to the conspiracies that were brewed by its internal and external enemies working to disrupt the peace and security of the people, erode their unity and put the country at a perilous crossroads. However, no matter how hard they tried, nation’s enemies could not realize their ill intents as they had planned, except causing some harms. Shashemene Town was one of the targets that Ethiopia’s enemies had plotted and planned to realize their ill intents. In consequence, though it was not as planned, significant harm was caused, and the town experienced some types of damages.
However, thanks to the concerted efforts elders, residents of the town and the leadership, currently the town is restoring to its former image; and a new chapter that ashamed the enemies of Ethiopia is created.
Following the collaborated efforts of all and the strong measures taken to raise youth awareness, peace in Shashemene Town is well restored, remarked Town’s Mayor and West Arsi Zone Administration.
The town mayor Wosho Kedir told The Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) that the peace and stability of the town is well recovered after the close talks held in collaboration with the youth and stakeholders. Particularly, the youth have taken a lion’s share in stabilizing the town through fighting against enemies and actively engaging in development activities.
According to the Mayor, the youth have been engaging in the field of construction, agriculture, and the likes to restore development in the town apart being owners of peace themselves.
Similarly, the town has established a “Peace Committee” comprising all walks of life like religious fathers, mothers, the youth, volunteers, and elderly aiming at identifying each and every problem and devising lasting and real solutions through conducting discussion free from interference and duress. The mayor and zonal administration helped community adjust discussion avenues towards that end.
Zonal Administer, Ahmed Haji on his part said that the peace of Shashemene Town, West Arsi zone of Oromia State, which was immensely infringed by enemies two years ago is well restored.
As to Ahmed, actors who have shouldered hidden political agendum have been several times attempting to hit ill-intended mission isolating the harmoniously living people in terms of ethnicity, religion and other futile matters over the past over two years in the area. Following that evil move, Shashemene town lost many lives, plenty of properties were damages, a number of citizens have been displaced and the peace of the area was under question. However, at present, peace restoration process in the town is very well underway.
He further noted that the youth have been playing an indispensable role in stabilizing the town and getting it normalize. “If leaders lead the youth properly, remarkable outcome will be recorded. As Ethiopia has been challenged by various issues, especially the cause of sporadic conflicts, inclusive national dialogue and heartiest discussion needs to be conducted so as to devise lasting solutions to all the problems at national level in general and in our town and zone in particular,” he added.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 JULY 2022
