Association of Ethiopians in Europe Stop Apartheid in Ethiopia ! የዘር ፖለቲካ ለማስወገድ እንታገል
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Some perceive this as an incentive for the future, others only as a thank you for what has already been achieved. It is no different with peace prizes. At the latest since the newly elected US President Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 and hopes for a new foreign policy were associated with it, it has become customary to award peace prizes to hopefuls.
It was the same with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali. Just one year after taking office, he not only received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, but also the Hessian Peace Prize from the Leibniz Institute Hessian Foundation for Peace and Conflict Research (PRIF). However, the incentive strategy also involves the risk that the award winner will not develop as hoped. In the case of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, this is the case and it would therefore be logical to withdraw the Hessian Peace Prize from him.
While the West was firmly in the grip of the corona pandemic, an armed conflict broke out in northern Ethiopia, in the regional state of Tigray, at the beginning of November 2020. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced from the region. There are repeated reports of atrocities committed by Ethiopian government troops and their allies. Independent observers, NGOs and news agencies unanimously report targeted massacres against civilians and systematic mass rapes of women and girls.
There are few reliable reports of fatalities. Estimates so far assume more than 10,000 civilian deaths and many thousands of fallen soldiers on both sides. In terms of the number of victims, the conflict in Tigray is undoubtedly one of the bloodiest armed conflicts in recent years – worldwide. There is no end in sight to the conflict. Turkey recently sold armed drones to the Ethiopian government.
The peace prize winner Abiy Ahmed Ali is personally responsible for the escalation of the conflict. It’s not just his repulsive war rhetoric that’s fueling the conflict, there are also many individual measures taken against civilians. Humanitarian aid organizations, including UN organizations, have been denied access to the crisis area.
Ethiopians of certain regional origins have been detained in the capital, Addis Ababa, and even drivers working for the United Nations (UN) have been arrested. An entire ethnic group is currently being held hostage and humanitarian catastrophes are being created in order to be used as a means of warfare. It seems that Abiy Ahmed Ali wants to launch an ethnic campaign. Former British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt even warned of genocide in the region.
The situation is serious, and that is why clear signals should be sent. On September 23, 2019, the Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali received the Hessian Peace Prize for his commitment to the historic peace agreement with Eritrea. The prize is awarded to people who have made a contribution to international understanding and peace. From today’s perspective, however, we have to admit that the great expectations placed on the award winner were not fulfilled. On the contrary.
If the Hessian Peace Prize were withdrawn, it would not only be about the figure of the prizewinner. It would also be about the many outstanding personalities from the Dalai Lama to the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Carla Del Ponte, to the Turkish peace activist Sebnem Korur Fincanci, who received the Hessian Peace Prize in the past and are now in a row with a bloody autocrat .
But it is also about our self-image and our self-esteem. Yes, the award ceremony was linked to hopes of strengthening peace, democracy and respect for human rights in the region. That was neither reprehensible nor unwise. But in view of the award winner’s bloody record, we cannot simply look the other way, but should have the insight to correct ourselves.
We owe that to our credibility, but above all to the many victims of this conflict. Abiy Ahmed Ali has not proven himself worthy of the Hessian Peace Prize. The withdrawal of this prize would be a clear statement and also a sign to future winners of the Hessian Peace Prize. A sign to all those who work for peace and human rights all over the world.
