WIDE+ supports this open letter, drafted by Multinational Women Peacemakers Network (MWPN), a consortium of Black, Migrant, and Dutch women groups, addressed to Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali. The Ethiopian military has been in an offensive with the Tigray People’s Liberation Front since November 2020. and the conflict has displaced thousands, exacerbated famine and killed many unarmed civilians. Children, women and the elderly continue to be particularly affected, including being subjected to gender-based violence and other human rights violations.
Peace and a stop to the war 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.
This open letter urges the PM and his government to:
- Solve the raging conflict and help suffering civilians on the warfront;
- Publicly announce willingness to do so and encourage other parties to commit to ending the fighting immediately.
- 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;
- Granting amnesty to political prisoners languishing in prison to facilitate all-inclusive national dialogue;
- Continue support for investigations into human rights abuses and violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law by all actors.
- Open credible and inclusive talks with political and civil society actors.