News: Civil society groups call for peace, reform and accountability in joint new year appealCSOs new year peace call (Picture:CARD)Addis Abeba – A coalition of 35 local civil society organizations has issued a joint appeal calling for concerted efforts to build sustainable peace, protect human rights, and promote democratic reforms across Ethiopia during the upcoming Ethiopian new year. The groups, including prominent human rights advocates like the Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations, the Ethiopian Human Rights Council and Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD), highlighted both progress and persistent challenges over the past year. They praised recent peace talks resulting in ceasefire deals in Tigray, Benishangul-Gumuz and Gambella, while lamenting ongoing conflicts, restrictions on rights, and abuses targeting vulnerable groups. The civil society organizations also called for stemming inflammatory speech and misinformation, protecting civic space, and urged all parties to collaborate in peacebuilding efforts. “We stand ready to work cooperatively with all stakeholders toward these goals.”The 35 signatories represent a broad spectrum of Ethiopian civil society including prominent advocacy groups, women’s organizations, professional associations, rights watchdogs and community networking forums.

Source: Ethiopian News September 06, 2023 09:30 UTC