The people-to-peoples forums taking place in various parts of the country have been contributing towards the cultivation of peace and at the same time arbitrate minor problems between peoples, said participants of people-to-people forums.
The people-to-people forums have been held between the Amhara and Somali as well as the Oromo and Somali states. Participants of the forums emphasized the need to promote such practices in order to sustain the people-to-people togetherness.
More recently, a forum that was held in Somali State in Jigjiga town witnessed a real togetherness between peoples of the Somali and Oromo, the participants explained.
Degahabur town resident and participant of the forum Mohamed Beshir said that the forum creates opportunities of belongingness among the two states’ residents to come together, discuss and work together towards the development of the country. The forum did meet its target and was successful, he added.
As to him, there is no problem among the peoples living in a different administrative district except some politicians’ heinous acts to attain their political agenda cloaking things under ethnic differences.
The other participant who travelled distances from Bale zone of the Oromia State to attend the people-to-people forum in Jigjiga Ousman Ali said that the forum meets it target. “There are no entrenched antipathies that could be sources of conflict between the peoples except some sort of disagreement among border pastoralists who fight for the sake of pastures and water for their cattle”, he stressed.
He also underscored that politicians should abstain from distorting the time-old togetherness among peoples.
“In my journey to this place [Jigjiga] I have come to learn peoples of the two states firmly demand peace and togetherness above all”, he noted.
He recommended the need to taking down such people-to-people forums in to Zone and Woreda levels so as to deeply inculcated peace among the peoples.
One of the experts who participated on the forum Lencho Bati (PhD) said that the two states share the longest border and have common historical togetherness. The areas have full potential to be developed. Currently, the leaders are also showing a greater commitment in which working hand-in-hand is fundamental to realize peace and development.
On the forum, leaders of the two states transmitted messages to the participants to nurture peace.
Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice Party (Ezema) sees the people-to-people forums optimistically, Ezema Public Relations Head Natnael Feleke told The Ethiopian Herald.
As to him, such forums should be strengthened in order to promote national consensus.
“Making the forums a genuine people-to-people, warranting free movement of citizens in the country and enabling such forums to be practiced among the residents of the locality [not cadres] are important. Currently, most of the forums are observably coordinated and held between or among higher officials of the regional states”, he underlined.
Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) Prof. Merera Gudina believes that such people-to-people forums might not bear fruits unless the current political scenario is totally changed.
“We do not want to oppose the idea since members of our party also participate in such forums but we want to assert the need to maintaining proper political system that builds people-to-peoples ties. Hosting such forums, here and there, by itself might not be enough to bring a national consensus”, he noted.
“There should be a national consensus on the major political questions arising from all corners of the country. National consensus is the foundation for nation building”, Prof. Merara underscored.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 11 AUGUST 2019
B Y TEWODROS KASSA
