Mediation Efforts…

Since the start of the civil war pitting the Ethiopian military against Amhara local forces, several calls have been made within and out of the country for the different protagonists to drop arms and give peace a chance. Tensions between the two camps began since April 2023, when the federal government announced it was dismantling regional forces across the country. The decision triggered protests from Amhara nationalists who said the move would weaken their region. After days of fighting between the army and militia fighters, the Ethiopian government recaptured some major cities in the Amhara region controlled by the local militiamen known as “Fano”.
Though there has been no official casualty figures from the conflict, hospital officials have reported many people killed, others injured and hundreds displaced. To avert escalation, local and international stakeholders believe it is time to talk peace. Ethiopian Catholic Bishops have appealed to the federal government to step up efforts to find a peaceful solution to the pending conflict. In a message released on August 7, 2023, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia urged both parties to stop the fighting and find a peaceful solution to their differences through dialogue. They called on all people of faith and of good will to pray for justice and peace to prevail in Ethiopia. “Everyone rejoiced when peace (in Tigray) was finally achieved through dialogue," the bishops said. "However, we are saddened to learn that another war has begun before we can even savor the fallouts of peac.” They reiterated that, the political will of the government is very important for dialogue to take place.
Apart from the Bishops, international human rights body has voiced deep concerns over the worsening security situation in the northwest of the country, particula...