Press Release

AGER ADIN (የአገር አድን ጥሪ):-

An All-Inclusive Transitional Roadmap for Ethiopia

Concerned Ethiopians & The Citizens Charter Group

Washington, DC: April 26, 2021

www.Ageradin.org

Ethiopia currently finds itself in multiple civil strife domestically and under unprecedented destabilizing attacks on its sovereignty by its implacable historical enemies and other geopolitical interests. It is veering toward state failure and unbearable human suffering–a prospect with no winners in the long run. A group of concerned Ethiopians and civic groups have long been mulling over these dual challenges in search of a negotiated political settlement that will extricate the country from the quagmire of winner-takes-all ethnic politics.

As explained in the document that we will release at the Press Conference on Wednesday, we firmly believe that the 2021 national elections under a discredited constitution cannot fix the country’s myriad problems. The only viable solution to these structural problems is an all-inclusive, negotiated transition process that will usher in a new citizen-based constitution as a political pact between Ethiopians and their Government and a guarantor of the first democratic elections in Ethiopian history.

Here is our reasoning in a nutshell:

(1) The Ager Aden movement genuinely believes that stopping the political violence by foreign-funded domestic terrorists, in which the Government of Ethiopia itself has also been implicated and equally defending, protecting and restoring the security of lives and livelihoods of innocent citizens is the immediate priority for all of us.

(2) In this regard, the Ager Aden movement understands, commends and supports the peaceful protests that took place in numerous cities and towns in the Amhara region; and urges Ethiopia’s youth to reach-out to one another across ethnic and religious lines; and to focus on the more intractable but necessary task of reforming the policy and structural causes that trigger targeted ethnicity and faith-based killings and displacements.

(3) We call upon and urge the federal government and the Amhara regional authorities to show utmost restraint and refrain from using using force to suppress peaceful demonstrations led mainly by the youth who are understandably indignant at the ethnic-based mass displacement and massacres in North Shewa, Benishangul-Gumuz, Wollega & other places. These peaceful protests should be understood as appeals for help to end the ongoing violence against innocent citizens and should not be aggravated by unnecessary & forceful measures to suppress them.

(4) The Ager Aden movement believes that the Federal Government of Ethiopia has the lead and prime responsibility to take all measures within its power and stop ethnicity and faith-based killings and displacements immediately.

(5) We recognize that putting out the fires is necessary but clearly not sufficient. The country’s political and economic problems are profoundly deep- seated. They will not, and cannot, be solved with make-believe elections under a polarizing and unamendable Constitution, an environment of deep human insecurity, and an incapable government that continues to favor ethnic loyalty over merit.

(6) We genuinely believe that to build a legitimate democratic order, Ethiopia needs an inclusive political settlement. The process must embrace political parties, civic organizations, and patriotic citizens. The litmus test is an unconditional commitment to equality of all citizens, unity of the Ethiopian people, and respect for Ethiopia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

(7) The Transition Roadmap we release today requires establishing an inclusive national dialog to elect an interim parliament (Shengo), establishing various commissions to to initiate a nationwide restorative Truth and Reconciliation process, clean up institutionalized corruption and discrimination, and ratification of a genuinely democratic constitution.

(8) We would like to underscore the premise this bold proposal is only a recommendation for a fresh start. Accordingly, we invite all stakeholders to join the movement for an informed national dialog and refine the roadmap to make it legitimate and fully realizable. You should know that we have just concluded three rounds of meaningful consultations with patriotic Ethiopians, civil-society organizations, and political parties to get feedback and obtain buy-in for the idea of a Transition Charter. We are now ready to address the general public, in Ethiopia and abroad, to stem the expanding civil wars and give hope for the mass outrage and civil disobedience underway.

Finally, we hereby invite the media for a zoom conference on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at 10 AM (EST) or 4 PM (ET). Please confirm your attendance so that we can send you the document at 9 AM on Wednesday.

Thank you.

Email queries: Ethiopia@Hageraden.org

Web Site:- https://www.ageradin.org

Topic: AGER ADEN (የአገር አድን ጥሪ): Press Conference

Time: April 28, 2021, 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84188088103?pwd=VkVhZlgwMFVxczQ0aVEwNll2RlQyUT09

Meeting ID: 841 8808 8103 Passcode: 216636

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Meeting ID: 841 8808 8103