ANU Statement: A Call for Principled, Consistent and Accountable German Engagement in Ethiopia
ANU welcomes the German Embassy’s engagement with His Holiness Patriarch Abune Mathias I and its recognition of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church’s important contribution to peace, unity, reconciliation, and social cohesion.
However, recognition of the Church’s role in promoting peace must be accompanied by a broader and principled diplomatic commitment to the conditions necessary for genuine and sustainable peace in Ethiopia.
For ANU, peace cannot be separated from justice, human dignity, accountability, the protection of civilians, and respect for the rights and identity of Ethiopia’s diverse communities.
We therefore respectfully call upon the Government of Germany, the European Union, and their diplomatic partners to translate their stated commitment to peace into concrete diplomatic action.
ANU’s Diplomatic Demands
1. Make civilian protection an explicit diplomatic priority.
Germany and its European partners should consistently press all parties to armed conflicts in Ethiopia to protect civilians, facilitate humanitarian access, and comply with international humanitarian and human-rights law.
The protection of civilian life should not depend on geography, ethnicity, political affiliation, or the strategic interests of external actors.
2. Support credible and independent accountability.
ANU calls for credible, impartial, and independent investigation of serious alleged violations of international human-rights and humanitarian law.
Accountability must not be selective. Where credible evidence exists, those responsible—regardless of political position, military rank, institutional affiliation, or community—should be subject to appropriate legal processes.
3. Put displacement and the right of return at the centre of peace diplomacy.
Millions of Ethiopians have experienced displacement and profound disruption as a consequence of conflict and insecurity.
Germany and the EU should make the safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return of displaced people, together with restoration of property and livelihoods where appropriate, an integral component of peacebuilding and reconstruction.
4. Protect Ethiopia’s religious and cultural heritage.
The Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church represents an extraordinary part of Ethiopia’s historical and cultural heritage.
ANU calls upon Germany and its European partners to support the protection, documentation, preservation, and restoration of endangered religious and cultural heritage—including churches, monasteries, manuscripts, archaeological sites, and sacred traditions.
The destruction or deliberate degradation of cultural heritage should be treated not merely as the loss of property, but as an assault on the historical inheritance of communities.
5. Ensure that peace diplomacy includes affected communities.
Peace cannot be negotiated exclusively among political and military elites.
Women, youth, religious leaders, civil society organizations, displaced communities, victims of violence, and representatives of affected regions must have meaningful opportunities to participate in processes concerning their future.
ANU therefore calls for international support for an inclusive, credible, and nationally owned dialogue process.
6. Apply human-rights principles consistently.
Germany and the EU have repeatedly emphasized human rights, democracy, and the rule of law as foundations of their external relations.
ANU respectfully urges them to apply these principles consistently in Ethiopia.
The credibility of international diplomacy depends not only on what principles are proclaimed, but on whether those principles are applied consistently when geopolitical interests become complicated.
7. Support a credible transitional-justice framework.
Ethiopia requires mechanisms capable of addressing the legacy of grave violations, establishing truth, recognizing victims, and creating pathways toward reconciliation.
ANU calls upon Germany and its European partners to provide technical, diplomatic, and institutional support for a transitional-justice process that is victim-centred, independent, inclusive, and consistent with international standards.
8. Protect religious freedom and the institutional independence of religious communities.
Religious institutions must be able to carry out their spiritual, humanitarian, educational, and social responsibilities without intimidation, political coercion, or violence.
ANU calls for the protection of religious freedom and the institutional independence of Ethiopia’s religious communities.
9. Link reconstruction assistance to peace, accountability and inclusion.
International reconstruction assistance should strengthen communities and institutions rather than deepen existing inequalities or political divisions.
ANU encourages Germany and the EU to prioritize assistance that directly benefits affected communities, restores essential services, supports livelihoods, protects heritage, and contributes to accountable and inclusive institutions.
10. Maintain sustained diplomatic engagement—not episodic engagement.
Ethiopia’s challenges cannot be addressed through occasional diplomatic visits, statements, or ceremonial engagements alone.
ANU calls for sustained engagement with Ethiopian stakeholders, including religious institutions, civil society, academics, women, youth, victims’ representatives, and communities directly affected by conflict.
A Partnership Based on Principles
ANU values Germany’s longstanding relationship with Ethiopia and recognizes the importance of constructive European engagement.
But genuine partnership requires more than friendship between governments. It requires a relationship grounded in mutual respect, consistency, transparency, accountability, and the equal value of every Ethiopian life.
We therefore encourage Germany to use its diplomatic influence not simply to encourage stability, but to help create the conditions for legitimate, inclusive, and durable peace.
Ethiopia does not need the international community merely to manage its crises. It needs international partners willing to support Ethiopians in addressing the underlying causes of conflict, protecting civilians, preserving their historical heritage, and building institutions capable of securing equal dignity and rights for all.
Peace without justice remains fragile.
Unity without equality cannot endure.
Reconciliation without truth cannot be sustained.
And diplomacy without consistency loses credibility.
ANU stands ready to engage constructively with Germany, the European Union, Ethiopian institutions, religious leaders, civil society, and other international partners in pursuit of a peaceful, just, inclusive, and democratic future for Ethiopia.
ANU
