Addis Ababa (AMECO) — Community peacebuilders in Ethiopia’s Amhara region have persuaded more than 180 armed fighters to abandon violence, as mothers across the country issue a poignant plea for an end to conflict ahead of the upcoming New Year.
Working alongside local religious leaders, the Amhara Region Peace Mothers initiative has established direct dialogue with insurgent groups. Alganesh Asfaw, a senior member of the organisation, confirmed the milestone and pledged to intensify grassroots mediation efforts, insisting that “the door to peace is never closed.”
The peace initiative comes as ongoing instability continues to inflict a severe toll on civilians, particularly women, children, and the elderly. Alganesh warned that fighting across the country has left women increasingly exposed to violence, disrupted vital healthcare services, and left orphaned children facing homelessness on the streets.
In Ethiopia, the New Year traditionally signifies a season of national renewal, marked by the blooming of yellow Adey Abeba flowers, receding river waters, and family reunions. However, for countless mothers grieving children lost to war, traditional festive customs—such as spreading green ketema (peace reeds) and brewing coffee—have been replaced by solitude and mourning.
Urging combatants to choose dialogue over destruction, the Peace Mothers called on armed groups to abandon military escalation and offer symbolic reeds of peace instead.
“No grievance has ever been resolved through war; it serves only to kill our children, destroy livelihoods, and deepen poverty,” Alganesh said, describing how mothers across the region are kneeling in mourning to beg for peace. “It is time for armed groups to accept peaceful alternatives and give mothers hope.”
