Transitional justice for national healing

BY ADDISALEM MULAT

The Ethiopian government has been trying to hold perpetrators of crimes in relation with the conflict in the northern part of the country. It has also been collaborating with the international community allowing the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission and the United Nations Human Rights Council to jointly conduct an investigation in to alleged human rights abuses in Tigray.

The incumbent also formed inter-ministerial committee drawn from different ministers. The aim of these works is to give justice to victims. In the present circumstances, Ethiopia has been laying stress on the transitional justice system to ensure democracy, rule of law and create fertile ground for national reconciliation.

It is abundantly clear that transitional justice plays a paramount role in paving the way for national healing by bringing criminals before court and giving justice to victims. It has commonly been assumed that transitional justice also helps consolidate democracy and ensure justice, equality, and return the country back on track.

It is true that Ethiopia at different points in time has been going through conflicts triggered by various socio-political and economic issues. Lots of human rights violations have been committed in different parts of the country. Lives have been lost and properties have been destroyed. And, transitional justice opens the door for stability, prosperity, and unity besides ensuring accountability for human rights violations.

Intending to ensure sustainable peace, justice, and reconciliation, and consolidate democracy and other related aspects on a national scale, the country recently undertook a ribbon cutting ceremony for pubic consultations and transitional justice in the company of high government officials.

As developing an all-inclusive transitional justice policy is compulsory for the entire nation to blossom democracy and bring about peace, authorities concerned have been attaching significance to the transitional justice system.

As transitional justice plays a paramount role in resolving significant human rights violations, building national consensus, building reconciliation, and other things of a similar kind, concerned bodies have been working in close partnership for its realization.

It is also believed that transitional justice helps to avert human rights violations, compensate victims, take remedial measures, and whatnot. In the same way, it is believed that transitional justice plays a very significant role in smoothing the path of the peace accord that has been signed between the federal government and the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) in Pretoria, South Africa.

It should be borne in mind that with a view to consolidating peace, democracy, justice, reconciliation, and bringing about social, economic, and political progress and other things of a similar kind in the country, pertinent bodies have been effectuating a lot of effective strategies that can take the country to the next level of development.

Recently, the Ministry of Justice disclosed that public consultation to formulate a transitional justice policy will be held in 59 selected areas within the next 13 weeks. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen said that the government has a firm belief in conducting transitional justice in accordance with the public interest.

Following the government’s reform, conflicts that resulted in grave human rights violations had been ragged in several areas of Ethiopia. “Also, we had been passed through number of conflicts that confronted our national unity. Therefore, victims should be compensated through transitional justice.” Demeke added: “It is high time to formulate transitional justice policy. Over the past years lots of victims were in need of compensation and justice. In one way or another, all victims should be compensated and accountability should be ensured.”

According to the Deputy Premier, the Ethiopian government believes that this consultation is important to draw up options to guide the needed transitional justice. “As we can learn from other countries, transitional justice is fundamental process to ensure accountability to repair harms of grave human rights violation. Also, it will lay foundation to resolve disputes and conflicts.”

Sharing the above the House of Peoples’ Representative Speaker Tagesse Chafo stated that the goal of the transitional justice should be to establish peace and security across the country. Transitional justice should be based on national and international guidelines. The consultation commenced this day is the result of the firm commitment of the governmental and non-governmental actors, he added.

“Attempts to implement transitional justices in the past years are few in number and unsatisfactory in quality. So, CSOs, in his remark at the launching ceremony of the public consultation, governmental and other concerned bodies should pay special attention to make the process successful.”

United Nations Higher Commissioner for Regional Office for East Africa, Marcel Clement Akpovo said on the occasion that global experiences teach that transitional justice is always vital after gun silence and it helps to repair broken harmony and to sustain peace and security. The meaningful participation of victim society members is also crucial for the successful conduct of transitional justice.

“We believe that the upcoming transitional justice of Ethiopia will benefit all of us. The transitional justice will define what justice is mean to victims of conflicts and human right violations.” Religious and traditional leaders should be also invited to take part in consultations to play their role in future transitional justice architecture, the representative emphasized.

Lately, UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) East Africa Representative Marcel C. Akpovo commended the effort of Ethiopian Government in pursuing accountability of human rights violations through transitional justice. OHCHR East Africa Representative Akpovo told local media that his office had been very supportive for the government’s efforts in pursuing accountability right from the beginning.

“As a result of the joint investigation that we have conducted, my office and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, Dr. Daniel, I may say that so far, the efforts that we have seen from the government are very encouraging. They are going the right direction and then if it continues in that sense, I strongly believe that with time, all steps taken; we are going to pursue accountability for human right violation committed in the context of the Tigray conflict but also beyond that,” he added

The full participation of Ethiopian people and covering most of the human rights challenges that the country has faced so far in the public consultation on transitional justice policy options process is encouraging, he added.

Akpovo underscored: “the government is doing the right thing towards the right direction not only now but also in pursuing very much the provision within the peace agreement, which provide for such kind of step to be taken by government and address human rights violation committed in the context of the conflict.”

Speaking of the public participation in the consultation on transitional justice policy options process that the government has launched to promote human rights and ensure accountability, the representative said:

“You see the diversity of the people across the board from the civil society, from the media, from the judiciary from the political spectrum, from religious actors. Every single segment of the Ethiopian society has been brought together to speak about this transitional justice policy option that has been developed by the government, which is really in my view the right way to go.” The government should continue in this inclusive manner, he said, and added “but more importantly, the accountability process that the government has embarked on.”

“It (transitional justice) is a very important point because it is one of the very critical endeavors that will help Ethiopia to reconcile with itself, to bring about the future by really dealing very responsibly with the past. And what I have seen so far, pointed into the right direction. I think that we all have the obligation the responsibility to support Ethiopia in moving toward that direction,” Akpovo elaborated.

He reiterated that OHCHR will continue to support the government’s effort towards realizing the already embarked transitional justice process and its implementation. My role is to support the government of Ethiopia and Ethiopian people to progress in their search and effort towards human rights protection and promotion in the country, he stated.

The Ethiopian Herald March 12/ 2023

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