ADDIS ABABA: Uncertainty has reigned in Ethiopia over the past few months. First it was the health of late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, his whereabouts and questions over the country's future. Then, following his death on August 20, the political turmoil that ensued to find a successor left many Ethiopians wondering the direction the country would take. Now, Ethiopia's Christian and Muslim community hope to put their frustrations behind them as they look forward to a new Ethiopia, which they said could be full of democracy and human rights. This past week, Bikyamasr.com spoke to a number of Muslim and Christian students in the capital, Addis Ababa, and almost all of them spoke of the need for positive change in the country toward respecting human rights, religion and political diversity. “We have for so long been a fragmented country in many ways, with Muslims and Christians battling for their power,” said Teresa, a 21-year-old marketing student and Christian. “Now, as we have the opportunity to really make a change in how the country is run, we have to move quickly or face the same dictatorship that tore us apart for decades,” she told Bikyamasr.com, referring to the iron grip of late PM Zenawi. Her Muslim counterparts agree that the time is now for change, but how that will happen is anyone's guess. They remain skeptically optimistic that the country can gather around what Hassan Mahammad said was the country's most important resource, “the people.” He argued that “Ethiopia is a large country and we are a diverse people, but that is what makes us special. We can debate and create a new foundation for all people, Muslim, Christian and other for the bettering of our society.” For these young people, who represent their respective youth communities, they believe that togetherness is the only solution to creating a new Ethiopia with solid foundation in understanding and forward-thinking. Earlier this month, leading Ethiopian political thinker and professor Alemayehu G. Mariam said the time is now for Ethiopia to have “radical improvements" in its social and political climate following the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. “I say today is the perfect time for all Ethiopians to bury the hatchet of ethnic division, religious sectarianism, regional conflict and human rights violations," Mariam wrote in an opinion article. “It is the perfect time to shake hands, embrace each other and get our noses to the grindstone to build a new democratic Ethiopia where the rule of law is upheld and human rights and democratic institutions respected." He argued that the situation facing Ethiopia does not need to be a painful process of change and that the new leadership should learn from the past two decades and its impact on the people. “Today, not tomorrow, is the best time to put an end to historic hatreds and resentments and open a new chapter in Ethiopia's history. Today is the best time to unchain ourselves from the burdens of the past, close the wounds that have festered for generations and declare to future generations that we will no longer be prisoners of resentments of the past," the professor argued. There is a tentative hope that democracy and human rights can be part of the transition away from authoritarian rule. Still, many experts have pointed to the reality that Ethiopia is unlikely to see democracy or a change in the status quo, despite the two decades rule of Zenawi coming to an end. For a university student group made up of Christians and Muslims, which they have dubbed themselves “Concerned Ethiopian Students" they are hopeful that the change can be made for the better. “We have long face this kind of attack from the government if we speak out, so we really want to see democratic change in Ethiopia because it will mean a better country for all," the group told Bikyamasr.com. “Ethiopia deserves a country that is not ruled by one person, but a place where citizens and the people have a say in our future."
