Ethiopia: Stop the War Urgently!
by ” Peace Now in Ethiopia Society”
The destructive war in Ethiopia specially in the North, including the West and South of our country should stop urgently. The War in the last ten months is costing us countless life of our people, destroying properties and causing mayhems. Mothers are crying and Ethiopia is bleeding. The atrocities inflicted in this war is beyond our imagination to happen in our country as the killings, destruction, suffering, looting, rape, and inhuman action which are cruel, immoral, embarrassing as nation which showed the cruel capability in our disturbed soul and humanity. The psychological traumas on those who survived and witnessed the acts of this war are life time troubling and horror.
This destructive physical war among our brothers and sisters (including the propaganda) is shaking the fundamental structure that holds our country as nation. It is leading us to is dark place of no return. No one except those power mongers and merchant of death monopolise from this war; while the mass who has no hand in the cause of this war is suffering from its destructive outcome. Millions are displaced, dispossessed, fled from their homeland and thousands died, exposed to hunger, disease and cruel human calamities.
This war due to the failure of our ruling class politicians to resolve their difference peacefully is tuned as if people war among each other. It is only benefiting those who sales and deliver war weapons to both side, war propagandist, blood merchant power mongers and those foreign powers who don’t want Ethiopian people unity, growth and prosperity.
Sadly at present, we don’t hear any news or activity to stop the war but to promote the war from each parties arming, honouring, singing and contributing finances for further bloodshed and destruction. Many young people are conscripted and taken to military camp for training how to kill their own brothers and sisters. This ongoing war unless stopped will continue the mayhems, death, bloodshed, rape, displacement, man made hunger and disaster. The blood that shed from each party is our brothers and sisters; the horrible rape that has been happening is to our sisters, daughters and mothers; the cannon feeders are our own children, brothers and sisters.
How can we build a country while destroying the one we have? A land without its people is not a country. A country is nation when people live in it. Love for the country means loving its people. As this war continues, it is destroying our country, producing widows and orphans. The psychological trauma for those survivors is immense. There is no winner in this war. We all are losers. Those who die are our brothers, sisters and children. The destroyed property, health centres, education faculty and economic infra structure etc are ours.
The evil fire spirit that rained and occupied the mind and heart of our leaders and politicians (their followers from each warring parties) is causing us hell on earth. Our religious and moral fathers, elders and honest intellectuals should react as this evil is causing us horror, evil action and destroying our country.
Patriotism is not about killing your own people, brothers, sisters, animals and destroying your own properties and country; rather patriotism is saving your own people from adverse events, disaster and preventing war, saving your country, culture and belief system. There is wrong saying in Ethiopia “We will die (sacrifice our life) for our country”; this is a wrong saying, rather we should say “We have to live for the sake of our country and people”. A country without its people is barren empty land.
Dear our brothers and sisters who are fighting among each other; please for the sake of your children, mother, your agenda, God, and land you live in, stop this self destructive war and lets resolve our differences and issues in peaceful way without war, sitting in round table. You may be blinded and pursue the war due to temporary military gain which you would lose it tomorrow. As this war continues, what we earn is further bloodshed, disaster, man made hunger, woe and even for those survivors and new generation, we inherit bad blood.
Those leaders, military commanders, religious leaders, elders, intellectuals and mass media owners/leaders in each opposing party; before this war destroy our common country, lets stop it urgently. Those roads services which are closed due to this war should open; electricity, water, telecom services should be open; let commercial activities and banks commence routine duties ; these are public services, not war services. Let the food relief and medicine reach to those affected by the war.
The Federal central government and the ruling Prosperity party should full fill the lion share (as a father for a family) to stop this destructive war for the sake of our survival and the Country. Those imprisoned due to their political opinions, affiliation or activity get realised and be part and parcel of national peaceful dialogue and consensus. Those armed groups all over the country should be ready for peace and actively participate on this peaceful round table national dialogue to resolve each issues and reconcile. Those on power in each party for the sake of our people and country share your power and work to a solution which all parties agree on.
If these warring parties fail or refuse to make peace, the Ethiopian people should say enough and no longer war. For this further civil war causing mayhem, the Ethiopian people should refuse to contribute for man power, resources, money and any war effort. The people should publically do peaceful vigil to stop the war and pray, fast according to each religion/beliefs.
Those who work in the main-stream media and social media ( face book, you-tube, twitter, tik tok etc); those influence makers and who have many followers, for the sake of our country and people please stop to inflame the war, incite, produce fake news to promote the war and serve as propagandist; rather work for peace and how we can resolve our issues and stop the war. We beg you under the name of your God and something you love. Your work is widely available and recorded and you will be accounted for each in the future. History and future generation will judge you as well. In this modern era, a war propaganda or fake news influence and damage the course of the war more than the physical war it self.
Let us wicked war by ourselves. Any foreign intervention though may helpful often accompanied by hidden agenda. Our agenda is peace to our country and people. From now on, let’s send our children to school and universities instead of military camp and war field. The difference in our political believes can be resolved through peaceful means without destructive war. We have enough experience of destructive war in our recent history and how we lose everything and can not stop the inevitable. With our long held tradition of peace making, give and take principle and compromising half way; we can stop this war and resolve our differences peacefully.
Ethiopian citizens, intellectuals, elders, friends who agree on this noble idea, lets work hard in the next three months to stop the war. Lets put our influence on the politicians, war lords and stop the destructive war. Lets hold each others hand, work together and save our country and people.
Those actively participating in this destructive war, the Federal government and ruling Prosperity party; Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) / Tigray Region States; Orommo Liberation Front/ Army or the so called “Shene”; Amhara and Afar Region States and Other armed groups all over the country including the Eritrean government. Please come to negotiation table and resolve the issues peacefully. We need to exert our moral, religious, cultural influences on this parties to stop the war urgently and help to come to the round table and negotiate peacefully.
We welcome any international partners, friendly organizations and countries to help this effort but it should be left to the Ethiopians which course of direction and action to resolve our issues.
Those of us who agree on the above should work together without any favouritism to any group having a bold aim of “The War must stop urgently and come to the round tablet to resolve the issues peacefully “. Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopians who agrees this can be done, and willing to contribute without pay and ready to offer your expertise, time, resources, finance, lets meet together with our motto “Lets stop the war and ensure Peace now”. We will hold social media call/meeting in the next few days to agree the way how to stop this war and then approach all our brothers involved in this war to stop the fighting and start peaceful negotiation. We reach out to Ethiopian people for this effort. Get ready for any such call in the near future.
Those individuals, organizations and friends of Ethiopia who want to contribute for this effort, please contact us in the email peacenowethiopia@gmail.com
May God help us!