A call for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and instability in the Amhara region

The original version of this statement was prepared in Amharic. In case of differences in translation, the Amharic copy will prevail.

We, the undersigned civil society organizations of Ethiopia, are gravely concerned about the conflict in the Amhara region. The Amhara national regional state administration has declared that it is "difficult to control the situation through the regular law enforcement capacity" and requested the federal government to interfere with the necessary legal measures. Consequently, the Council of Ministers declared a state of emergency with a regional and “as necessary” national jurisdiction effective on 4 August 2023. We believe that the issue of preventing violence and maintaining peace and stability is an urgent issue. However, in view of the fact that violent conflicts are taking root and expanding from time to time across Ethiopia, the measures taken to stop violent conflicts should not compromise the safety of innocent civilians, the protection of human rights and freedoms of the people; we also recognize that the root causes of the conflict should be a subject of all inclusive dialogue and and that they need to be addressed for a sustainable peacebuilding.

Therefore, we make the following actionable calls to all concerned bodies:

• Civil society organizations, political parties, religious institutions, mass media, and elderlies should play a constructive role to pressure actors involved for a peaceful resolution of the conflict; The peace negotiation efforts started in other regions of Ethiopia should be sought between the parties operating in the Amhara region and the federal and regional governments.

• Human rights and humanitarian laws and the safety of innocent civilians should be protected in all armed conflicts. The government should facilitate mechanisms and establish an accountability system to prevent conflict related human rights violations, gender-based violence, and others.

• Security forces should avoid the use of disproportionate force, ethnic based discrimination, and attacks as well as avoid indiscriminate mass arrests during the implementation of the state of emergency.

• Social media influencers and mass media should follow a conflict-sensitive approach, prevent the spread of misinformation, disinformation and violence incitement, and avoid escalating the conflict by only providing information that reflects the truth to the citizens.

• Government bodies must ensure that all means of communication and other basic services are not interrupted and that humanitarian aid should be properly accessed to those who need it, especially in places where there are internally displaced people in the Amhara region and neighboring areas that may be affected by the conflict.

• The government should continuously inform the implementation of the state of emergency, and deliver detailed information on rules and regulations drawn from the state of emergency with medium accessible for citizens.

Peace to Ethiopia!

The civil society organizations that have undersigned this call for a peaceful and sustainable resolution of conflicts in Amhara region are:

1. Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD)

2. Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center

3. Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association

4. Network of Ethiopian Women's Associations

5. Addis Powerhouse

6. Union of Ethiopian Women and Children's Associations

7. Lawyers for Human Rights

8. Union of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations

9. Setaweet Movement