Sidama region's effort to ensure peace

(Parliamentary News) April 15, 2021 The House of Peoples' Representatives Standing Committee on Foreign and Peace Affairs said Sidama National Regional State's efforts to strengthen peaceful relations with Oromia and Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Region would be taken as best practice.

The Standing Committee made the announcement during a recent field visit to the region. The Committee added that the region's efforts with neighboring regional states should be strengthened to ensure the peace and security of the society and to ensure that development activities are not hampered by anti-peace forces.

Standing Committee Member, Honorable Buntuka Ware said the ongoing work with neighboring regions to ensure the development of the state and the constitutional right of citizens to move freely in the region without any security threats due to their ethnicity and religion could be a best practice for other regional states.

Honorable Shambel Negassa, for his part, called on preventing and taking precautionary measures on anti-peace groups based on harassment, killing and displacement of citizens who do not want to live in solidarity and unity in order to thwart the country's transformation process. He said it is encouraging that the state is bringing in rent-seekers under the government structure.

Head of the Sidama National Regional State Peace and Security Bureau, Alemayehu Timotewos, on his part said all stakeholders in the state are monitoring and supervising the institutions to ensure their credibility and transparency. He further said that they are preparing to install security cameras on the facilities in the near future.

According to Alemayehu, Anti-peace forces who do not want to see the stability and peaceful movement in the regional state are still in the region.

He added that In a joint security operation, 10,000 of ammunition, 150 pistols, 2 rifles, 1,000 rifle ammunition, 13 AK-47, 54 bombs and 10 battle glasses, as well as contraband items worth more than 30 million birr were confiscated this year alone.

He said all citizens have the right to freedom of movement, trading, working and association in the regional state, adding that the state government is committed to fulfilling this mission.

By Yared Eshetu