Peace, Rule of Law Key Focus for Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed

His government has been under pressure at least for the past two years for failing to maintain the rule of law in Ethiopia 

Borkena

December 28, 2020 

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has been widely criticized over prevalent ethnic massed massacres in Benishangul Gumuz region, Oromo region and Southern Ethiopia. 

In fact, one of the latest massacres in the Benishangul Gumuz region that claimed the lives of at least 207 innocent civilians of mostly ethnic Amhara and ethnic Agarw region happened hours after he returned from a meeting with authorities in the region and Metekel — the zone where most of the massacres took place. 

Quite a considerable number of his critics even tend to think that the killing is deliberately orchestrated with the aim of ethnic cleansing against ethnic Amhara. 

Abiy Ahmed seems to take note of the mounting opposition to his administration. 

On Monday, he said that peace and security are core objectives in what his government calls a “Ten-year National Perspective Plan” -some thing that is a point of criticism on its own. His critics think that his government is not an elected one and does not have a mandate to prepare a ten-year plan.  But there is a claim that it is the Planning and Development Commission that is said to have prepared the ten years plan. And the House of People’s Representatives is discussing it. 

For him, “development” is the tool to achieve lasting peace. He wrote on his facebook page ” Development makes enduring peace possible. Our 10year National Perspective Plan is unique in recognizing this and puts peace and the rule of law as critical objectives within the plan. Various measures are being put in place, even during trying times, requiring close collaboration between citizens and institutions towards realising enduring peace.” 

For innocent citizens being massacred almost on a weekly basis now simply because of who they are, chances are the words could not be consoling. 

For most of the last two years, the massacres in different parts of the country were linked to Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). However, TPLF does not longer seem to be in a position to coordinate mass killings in different parts of the country as its capacity is believed to be significantly weakened following operation to enforce rule of law in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.