Reuters photo
By
Alem Hailu G/Kristos
It cannot be gainsaid that anti-peace elements are vexed by the reform that has begun to come to fruition before their very eyes.
As such, exhaustively bringing into play all possible ploys, they make a frantic bid to create a rift between citizens and government, which metamorphosed into a votary of genuine democracy after a thorough introspection.
Unwilling to witness the fact that the government is riding popular support and basking under local, continental and global media spotlights, they lend the devil workshops in their minds so that it divests the country of the tranquility it regained after the dust of rebellion that arose against despotic rule and improprieties settled down.
No sooner had their plan to instigate clashes, true to the timebomb they had been busy arranging for the past 27 years, proved a pipedream, they are now drawing their last card of goading the government to take the knee-jerk reaction of harming citizens. That is the recent drama they staged in the northern part of the country after they sweet-talked and handsomely paid fellow citizens into detaining arsenal-carrying military vehicles of the defense force moving from the relatively tension-free Ethio-Eritrean boarder to tension-entertaining areas.
They seem to love inviting trouble against members of their ethnic group after dragging the government into a bait to double cross it. They labor to get fans that rally around them merely out of vexation against the government. To this end, they adore creating enmity between the government and ethnic group members, overcome by emotion, who could not bat an eye to be cannon fodder to a potential civil war that could surface.
Exercising patience to avoid such booby traps is sagacious, for it helps preempt bloodshed and foil the enemy’s tactics. Having the dove’s personality is good, but to defang a snake in the grass, being on one’s guard is obligatory.
A snake camouflages itself with the surrounding milieu so also anti-peace elements could make members of their ethnic groups human shields. Needless to say, they do not have an ounce of care to the latter in so far as they meet their political objectives. Citizens too must develop the habit of observing things with a cool head as anti-peace elements are out to drive a wedge between people and government.
On the other hand, being polite to the impish makes the government pay a huge price. Therefore being alert to forestall pranks of the aforementioned nature is essential.
It has become common to see those who have no gratitude. Attacking a government, who is striving to level the lopsided political terrain embracing even those in exile, is far from sanity.
“Unless the avenue of democracy the country embarked on is rocky we shall make a resort to war does not work.” In the 21st century, taking terrorism as a first line of resort to meet one’s political ambition is fatuous. Before they wreak havoc, taking timely measures to forestall unnecessary sacrifices is mandatory. Yet taking discussion as a first line of resort is recommendable. Pertaining to this, as a recent development, a Front’s wing decision to settle things with discussion throws light on the fact that things are getting back to normal.
Also, in the government’s administrative machinery, there are unreformed members of the EPRDF. They are not only seen swimming against the tide but also putting spokes in the wheels of the reform to nip in the bud the flower of democracy that has begun to send roots.
Some members of the unreformed set had been perpetrating atrocities. They could continue acting on the sly, hence conducting further investigations is necessary.
Community policing that takes citizens with a special emphasis on the youth sounds plausible. Such a trend is tantamount to killing two birds with one stone as, apart from distancing themselves from picking quarrels, the youth could engage in ensuring tranquility. Residents of Addis are also participating putting on lamps on their gates to illuminate nooks and crannies where anti-peace elements could lurk. Such a move should be rippled across the country.
Success is in store for the nation, let us rally around our PM.
Alem Hailu G/Kristos
A published poet, novelist, editor, translator of masterpieces, literary critic, playwright and journalist from Ethiopia. M.A holder in literature, Addis Ababa University.
Looking for a traditional publisher of a collection of poems. My novel: ‘Hope from the debris of hopelessness’.
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