Ethiopia president, women appointees start nationwide peace drive

Ethiopian president Sahle-Work Zewde was joined by top female government appointees to launch a nationwide peace campaign.

The crux of the Ethiopian Women’s Peace Conference a,d ‘Jegnit’ (heroine) Social movement Program, being to play crucial roles towards the success of ongoing reforms by the Abiy Ahmed government.

In attendance was Minister of Peace, Muferiat Kamil along with other female appointees in Abiy’s historic gender-par cabinet passed by the legislature in October 2018.

President Zewde according to state-affiliated FBC tasked women to play their respective roles to consolidate the reforms and to avert a reverse or derailment off the track Abiy was driving the nation.

She stressed the importance of women maintaining the culture of settling disputes adding, “we should all stand together and safeguard peace as it is the foundation for all things.”

The event which took place at the offices of the Economic Commission for Africa, ECA in Addis Ababa was also attended by major political and diplomatic stakeholders.

Pictures from official launch of nationwide #Ethiopia-n Women’s Peace Conference and Social Movement Program pic.twitter.com/txhdaupaf0

— FANA BROADCASTING C (@fanatelevision) November 5, 2018

Despite booming confidence in the Abiy-led government, internal security has been a headache with deadly clashes forcing mass displacements across the country.

The Ministry of Peace was established with the view to work towards peace though it also has a strong mandate in overseeing sensitive state security organs. It is headed by Muferiat Kamil – a former speaker of the House of Peoples Representatives, the first woman to hold the post.