Nat'l Consensus Not Something Sponsored by Westerners, But Reached by Ethiopians: Experts

Addis Ababa November 6/2021 (ENA) A national consensus is not sponsored by the West or any external entity but by Ethiopians themselves with the view to solving problems in their own ways, experts noted.

The Government of Ethiopia has recently announced plans to organize a national consensus forum that engages all segments of the society with a view to bringing consensus among all key stakeholders in the country.  

Political Science and International Relations expert, Rebuma Dejene and Bekalu Atnafu, member of the leadership of Balderas for Genuine Democracy Party, told ENA that Ethiopians can address their complex political challenges through dialogue without external interference.  

Rebuma stressed that the political problems in Ethiopia cannot be resolved by political groups and individuals that operate under the influence of foreign elements.    

The existing challenges would effectively be curbed with the active engagement of Ethiopians  determined to sustain the sovereignty and unity of Ethiopia, he noted.

“Conducting a national consensus is not about imposing the ideas and interests of foreign countries on others, instead it is beyond mere discussion and involves genuine readiness to address the challenges on the table with real dialogue and consultations. But what we have to be careful about is that national consensus is not something  sponsored by Washington, Brussels or the European Union, but a platform designed by Ethiopians themselves to solve their problems,” Rebuma elaborated.  

Bekalu Atinafu, a member of the leadership of the competing party Balderas for Genuine Democracy Party, said on his part that the planned national consensus forum should primarily focus on ways of bringing opposing ideologies to one amenable consensus vital to the national development of the country with a sense of tolerance.

He further stressed the need to avoid attempts and tendencies to ensure the continuation of a dominant interest as well as the importance of inculcating the culture of entertaining diverse  ideas.