A Call for Peace: It is not too late to stop the war in Ethiopia.
This can only be achieved when guns are put aside and replaced with tables for dialogue. Women should play a key role in fostering this dialogue. Peace building involves the contribution of every citizen’s resources and sustainable ideas. It is imperative that women, youth, politicians, elderly and the religious leaders are involved.
In the last 10 months, many unarmed civilians were killed and several thousand are displaced. In many parts of the country, civilians are at the mercy of lifesaving humanitarian aid. Children, women and the elderly continue to be particularly affected, including being subjected to gender-based violence and other human rights violations. The country’s economy is also affected. Ethiopia has witnessed widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure in many parts of the country. Efforts to use traditional mediation have been futile. The crisis has undermined the country’s social fabric, impacting not only society today, but also its shared future.
It may still be possible to avoid the worst nightmare scenario if pressure is applied to urge the parties to cease fire. That requires both sides to realise they have no path to quick victory and to sit around the table together despite describing each other as illegitimate. Senior Ethiopian statesmen, Ethiopia’s neighbours in the Horn of Africa, the African Union, the European Union, and the U.S. all have a part to play in driving this message home. During the UN Security Council meeting on Ethiopia, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that “A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding before our eyes” and he warned that “Ethiopia’s youth will be the ultimate casualty”.
It is not too late, though, to stop the war spiralling out of control. All of Ethiopia’s external partners need to persuade both sides to urgently and unconditionally cease fire. When the guns go silent, Ethiopia’s feuding political class should kickstart a national dialogue to bridge the deep divisions across the country and over the country’s disputed federal system.
In order for our call for peace to succeed, we call upon all parties involved in the conflicts in all parts of Ethiopia for the
1) cessation of hostilities,
2) deescalating of conflicts and war propaganda,
3) to agree to peace talks and
4) protect the safety and unity of the masses, the peace and the sovereignty of the country.
MWPN urges in their open letter tot the Minister President of Ethiopi to (see attached):
1. Solve the raging conflict and help suffering civilians on the warfront;
2. Publicly announce willingness to do so and encourage other parties to commit to ending the fighting immediately.
3. Issue orders to protect all civilians throughout Ethiopia, regardless of their ethnicity, including refugees and internally displaced persons and particularly women in the light of widespread reports of sexual and gender-based violence;
4. Granting amnesty to political prisoners languishing in prison to facilitate all-inclusive national dialogue;
5. Continue support for investigations into human rights abuses and violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law by all actors.
6. Open credible and inclusive talks with political and civil society actors.