To find a quick fix to ongoing crises and a lasting solution to backlogged problems, the Ethiopian government has been sticking to dual dual-tracked approach. From signing and firmly implementing the Pretoria peace deal to forming the National Dialogue Ccommission, the government has taken concrete steps to usher in the country in on the path of lasting peace and stability. The bold measure of the incumbent to sit with armed groups and its consistency to enter in a peaceful dialogue has achieved relative peace in the northern part of the country despite ongoing conflicts in some pockets of Amhara and Oromia states.
At different times the government has called on the armed entities to lay down their arms and find peaceful solutions to whatever their legitimate and politicaltheir demands, be it political, economic or what have you. To give justice to victims and probe claims of war crimes and basic human rights violations, the government also is facilitating a conducive environment for the implementation of transitional justice. Transitional justice and national dialogue are imperative as a conflict resolution tool in the political landscape of severely divided and post-conflict societies like Ethiopia.
On the other hand, to protect civilians and stop bloodshed as well as restore law and order, the government has been forced into using force. The incumbent in this regard had made clear that it has a constitutional mandate to keep law and order and ensure security. It is the government which has the right to a monopoly of violence.
What is more, to rehabilitate militants and rectify victims, a rehabilitation commission has been formed and commenced work.
The country is now toiling to make the ongoing activities a success with the national dialogue embracing embarking on national discussion. In this regard, the support of all Ethiopians and the international community is much needed. In a statement, the Ethiopian National Security Council underscored the need to build up on the ongoing efforts to mend the deep-seated national fractures through an inclusive approach.
The Pretoria Peace Agreement signifies a mature and resolute decision to prevent future generations from inheriting a legacy of winners and losers characterized by animosity, the National Security Council said.
According to the council, three problem-solving mechanisms are put in place to address the existing and new political challenges resulting from recent circumstances such as the conflict in the northern part of the country: the National Dialogue, the Transitional Justice and the National Rehabilitation processes.
The process of identifying candidates, who would participate in the national dialogue, has been conducted in 10 regional states and two city administrations where some 12,294 participants have been identified from 679 districts, it said.
The National Rehabilitation Commission is working to ensure the reintegration of ex-combatants into society through the ongoing Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) process, the Council pointed out.
Activities are underway to reinstate citizens displaced due to the conflict in the northern part of the country and security problems in the Oromia and Amhara regions to their homes. The leaderships of the Oromia and Amhara Regional States have managed to return many IDPs from camps to their homes, according to the statement.
“We have therefore put in place three pathways that would enable us to rectify our historical shortfalls through resolving past political challenges through inclusive national dialogue, implementation of transitional justice and upholding peaceful political avenues, the statement underscored.”
These seemingly toll orders are must do and will be instrumental to restore lasting peace and redress the years of political divisions and pave the way for a state building. In this regard, the contribution of all Ethiopians and cooperation of the international community is imperative to, make these grand initiatives a success.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 26 APRIL 2024
