In Ethiopia, elders dissolve a crisis the traditional way

"Professor Ephraim Isaac, a retired Ethiopian Harvard scholar who lectures around the world on religion, peace, and conflict, had just helped resolve his country's two-year political crisis using problem-solving methods as traditionally Ethiopian as his garb."

Comment

DETHORNING THE EXTREME DIASPORA

Election 2005 may be the first and last event where those who wanted to dismantle the government are allowed free reign. Then Civil societies were sidelined and their advise for the opposition to enter the parliament was scorned in favor of hooligans in townhall meetings and the very noise extreme Diaspora who has no peace within itself let alone be a solution to Ethiopia. Now as before the contrast can not be any clearer – an unassuming, humble Ethiopians who managed to secure the release prisoners and who are determined to infuse some sense to the insane Ethiopian politics on one hand, and abrasive know it all bullies who are fighting for WICHALE II in the form of HR 2003 on the other hand. These Tablibans of McCarthyism have shown the bottomless pit of their hate and divisiveness when attacking these elders. (See also Hager Fikir Comment). It is time to say "HAVE YOU NO SHAME".

EPRDF has come long way in embracing the role of the elders. Had elders been allowed to defuse the conflict within TPLF in 2001 the Dergist would not have had the audacity to reconstitute in the form of CUD, and attempt to overthrow the government with the help of the double-crossing,disloyal Mehal Sefari. Such institutions are not there to reconcile political difference nor result in corruption of principles but to prevent the political atmosphere from being clouded by mistrust, personal acrimony and safeguard the process from being hostage of extreme elements. Institutions are built by design and others by accident. The Council of elders is one such institution that should be nurtured and integrated with the institution building process. [Alula Nega]

Ethiopia carries out rare execution
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (Reuters) -- Ethiopia carried out its second execution in a decade on Monday, against a military officer convicted of killing the country's former head of security and immigration, the federal prison service said.