Despite the multitude of odds facing the country, the Ethiopian government has been resorting to various means to ensure peace and stability in the country. The incumbent has been committed to restoring law and order in different parts of the country through legal means and peaceful negotiation.
By large, the government has been working to redress major challenges of the country and ensure sustainable peace. It is to be recalled that the in an effort to resolve the two years of conflicts that resulted in human causality and property damages, the government and Tigray People’s Liberation Front have sealed a deal in Pretoria, South Africa. The peace deal has been vital in allowing unfettered humanitarian aid and restoring basic social services. Now Tigray is back to normalcy and things are going smoothly.
It was also revealed that the country needs billions of dollars to recover from the impacts of the conflict in the northern part of the country. And, following the Pretoria peace deal, the country’s relations with some countries have already improved. International monetary organizations and some countries have been releasing funds and pledging to help Ethiopia’s post-war recovery efforts. However, the country is yet to reel from the ramification of the conflict.
The country has already felt the serious consequences of conflicts and the government is very much aware that peace is the sole means to address disagreements.
The same initiatives have been put in place to resolve conflicts unfolding in various parts of the country. The government has been boldly expressing its resolve to negotiate with any entities.
Side by side, the government has been taking a multitude of steps to facilitate a fertile ground for an all-inclusive and open dialogue. This grand event is expected to create a middle ground and address divisive issues that have been taking a toll on the nation.
In spite of the ongoing effort, there have been conflicts in some parts of the country. Lately, there has been violence in Amhara state as the government continues to put in place various measures to ensure law and order in the state.
It has become clear that the country cannot afford to have another conflict and the people of Ethiopia need uninterrupted peace and stability in the country. And, the government has a moral and legal duty to protect citizens. As seen before, it is the people of Ethiopia that would carry the brunt of violence and conflict. It is also clear that like any other country, Ethiopia has issues that need answers. And, any demand can and should only be fulfilled through peaceful means, not through the barrel of a gun. And, the current situation in Amhara state would only bring harm to the people living there and beyond.
It is for this very reason that the government is doing everything it can to restore order in the state. Lately, the State of Emergency General Department Command announced that works are underway with a view to reinstating peace in the Amhara Region by finalizing the law enforcement activities being carried out in the region within a short period of time.
It is to be recalled that Amhara Regional State has requested the federal government to take measures and enforce the law in the region as the situation has become very serious and cannot be controlled by the regular law enforcement system.
Accordingly, a state of emergency was declared by the Council of Ministers and activities have been commenced by establishing General Department Command to implement the state of emergency proclamation, according to ENA.
The General Command has today deliberated on the organizational structure it designed with four command posts and four departments.
Chairman of the Command, Temesgen Tiruneh said in a press briefing that the disruption of peace orchestrated by organized robbery groups has created economic, social, and administrative problems.
In addition to obstructing the activities of public service-providing institutions, the groups have made criminals escape by breaking prisons in some areas, he stated.
And these acts have been hindering farming activities of Meher season and obstructed citizens from moving freely to receive services in the region, Temesgen pointed out.
Hence, he said the State of Emergency General Department has been engaged in reversing the security problems in the region.
According to Temesgen, the group has been committing serious violations against the residents of the region by robbing and destroying public service-providing facilities among other crimes.
He said the government strongly believes in the fact that any demands should be addressed through peaceful mechanisms as it had previously demonstrated this in practice.
The government will continue its law enforcement endeavors in the future too, he underlined.
The government said it has been relentlessly working to ensure law and order in every corner and control destructive activities targeting the economic pillars of the country.
Briefing journalists recently, the Government Communication Service (GCS) Minister Legesse Tulu (Ph.D.) noted that the government declared a six-month State of Emergency in Amhara State in a bid to restore order.
The difficulty to end the destruction through normal law enforcement procedures, make the emergency law essential to restore order and normalize the situation, “Those interest groups that have been engaged in disrupting the peaceful balance that exists between ethnicities and destabilize Ethiopia’s long peace and stability should refrain from such destructive activities.”
The government has zero tolerance to those anti-peace elements and it will discharge its constitutional obligation to restore order and normalize the situation in the most coordinated and efficient manner, Legesse stressed.
The government is carrying out well-organized law enforcement measures to normalize situations and avert signs of disorder that have created fear in the public at large. “Social media actors, activists, and others had better work for the peace and stability of the nation as it is the basis for every activity.”
The Minster further stated that the delivery of humanitarian support to the Tigray State is well underway amidst some interest groups’ fabrications to tarnish the government’s efforts. For instance, twenty heavy trucks loading humanitarian aid arrived in Mekelle.
The constitution granted the power for the Council of Ministers to decree a state of emergency in case of external invasion, a breakdown of law and order which endangers constitutional order.
BY STAFF REPORTER
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 9 AUGUST 2023
