is that attend the games? remember, out the african continent has the lowest rate of vaccination at the moment. and while at cameroon, yesterday, just announce that there was only $280.00 cases of co that that is, according to health experts. just the tip of the iceberg. there's a real fear that this event cute could a further spread. the kobe varied, ami kron in, cameroon, and beyond. ah, this is al jazeera, these are the top stories, the nigerian government says the death toll from attacks on the northwest has risen to at least 200 bandits. so tank villages in the state of sam farro following air strikes by the military on their height ups at gmail address is in a boucher what's happening is ah, search and recovery effort about 2048 hours since the attack bodies are still being

recovered. i. i said yesterday afternoon, at least 150. our costs were recovered. some of them mutilated. some of them burned beyond recognition and were buried in various villages. the attacks happened in at least 10 villages in, zum for a state. her mother honeywood, iraq's new parliament has voted to elect mohammed al lucy as the new speaker. earlier in the session, there was an altercation, and the eldest member of parliament had to be taken to hospital security forces. incident upon me, a fire tear gas into crowds, protesting, excuse me, against the military government. earlier bridges were closed around the capital cartoon to deter demonstrators, the main pro democracy group has rejected you and efforts to get students transition to civilian rule back on track. russian state media says 164 people have been killed during days of violence,

anti government protests and catholic storm authorities. that confirmed the arrest of more than 5000 people. the us secretary of state anthony blinking says, any order to shoot to kill protest as in catholic st on should be removed. we make clear that we expect the cause a government to deal with with protesters and ways that respects their rights. that pulls back from violence at the same time. it of course has a right to the few worries now or shoot to kill. that is something i resolutely reject the shoot to kill the order to the extent it exists is wrong and should be rescinded. china's reported at 1st locally transmitted ami kron cases in the city of chin gin which borders beijing, the winter olympics are due to begin there, and nearby venues in under for weeks. those are your headlines. the news continues after inside story. i'll have a news for you and a little under 30 minutes. we'll see that ah,

he feel be a freeze to g. ryan rebel leaders to promote a national dialogue on ending the war. but government airstrikes continue to kill dozens. so how genuine is the prime minister's offer of a peaceful solution? this is inside story. ah, hello and welcome to the program. i'm hammer, jim, jim, ethiopians, government appears to be offering an olive branch to end more than a year of conflict in the northern to grier region. it releasing several high

profile political prisoners as part of an amnesty for orthodox christmas. those pardoned include leaders and founders of the rebel to gripe people's liberation front. prime minister obey osmond says this will pave the way for a national dialogue for lasting peace. the you win and you have welcomed their release. but some government critics called it a publicity stunt. criticisms increased after the latest government airstrike killed at least 56 internally displaced people near the eritrea border. many children were wounded. according to aid workers. ethiopia government denies targeting civilians and blocking aid convoys. the war has created one of the worst humanitarian crises in the horn of africa. will begin our discussion in a moment. first, let's bring you up to speed on the latest developments. the ethiopian government has been making steady territorial gains in recent weeks. ost notably a string of towns and villages, including a unesco heritage sites in labella. last month,

the leader of the t p l f wrote to the un secretary general. he announced his fighters would withdraw from the neighboring regions of m horror and a far as a condition of possible peace talks. the you and human rights council is investigating allegations of widespread rights abuse, including illegal detention torture and sexual abuse. and there's been growing international pressure on prime minister. obey. uh huh. 2 in the fighting. the outgoing us envoy met ave, on friday shortly before the pardons were announced. all right, let's bring in our guests in london. i will elo senior lecturer in law at kill university in oslo, cateel turnville, professor of peace and conflict studies at oslo new university college and in the hague adam cuz he a baby program officer at the international institute for democracy and electoral assistance. welcome to the program. we contacted ministers, an spokespeople from the ethiopian government,

but they didn't respond to our interview requests. adam, let me start with you to day this air strike came just a day after the government announced that high profile political prisoners would be pardoned. and released her that was to include some leaders of the t p l f. what kind of message does it send to announced pardons and releases one day and then conduct an air strike the day after. thank you so much for having me again. your rights there. there has been a reports of our strikes and significant casualties. the government hasn't confirmed or denied it. but all, i think the, the air strikes that the several air strikes that we've, we've seen in the past couple of days, are not going to deliver any thing that a war of 14 months have deliver it hard not to have been able to deliver. and so it, it is, it is really an, in my opinion, not, not needed, not necessary, especially at a moment where are there seems to be

a real gesture of peace towards peace. i will let me ask you under what conditions are these prisoners being released? first of all, do we know if they actually have been released yet? and once they are, once they have been, will they have to be under house arrest or will they be able to speak up or speak out, what are the conditions they might be faced with? thank you. so the attorney general basically broke the charges against this prisoner so the prisoners have not been convicted. the charges were brought to the justification provided by the government is that this is an important and necessary step to expand the scope of the national level of process that the government is promising that european people. so i saw this as a really important and a positive step, not just because we have individuals who have not been employed in the 1st place, fried, but also because of this promise of a competitive national barrel process that will help you. yes. for as long standing

political problem and lead to some kind of political settlement. but the problem of course, is that you, you had a significant number of individuals in prison including leaders or motivation form, which is a major political party in the army or region. we have steal and other conflict on going including the drone attacks you just mentioned, a major military and crisis. no, just integrate screen integration unique but in other readers just wanting or mia hara in the region. you had it deepening holiday vacation which makes it very difficult for a national dental process to work. so primary responsibility lies with the government to pay the conditions necessary for a credible, inclusive national barrel process. but i think the steps that have been taken so far, legal prisoners is a good thing and i think we should have been i can't tell, do we know at this point who has been released? do we know more about these political prisoners who've been pardoned and do any of

them pose any kind of political danger to abby? i'm going forward. yes, the little names of all the individuals released have been made public. and it is to add to our wills explanation, attorney general giddeon to distinguish between 2 categories. all were released. the people belonging to the room federalists, congress, and their balderas, where released due to help facilitate the political dialogue process moving forward . the prisoners belonging to the t p less party were released due to their old age and the health condition on the humanistic reasoning. so it is clear from the government side that them there distinguish between the categories of prisoners released. and i think this is basically a stressed, an indication of trying to facilitate and political dialogue with your bare by including cherry picking certain opposition parties. they want to take part,

of course the most significant nuance are the release over john, muhammad, and beck, legato, or leadership over there were almost at risk congress, which really pulls a direct electoral threat to the current government. but this is not aimed at a piece negotiation process to the armed actors of t d f. and we're lay and the government is sending out mixed signals in this regard . they are continuing their bombing, they're continuing to ground more and they're continuing also very hostile rhetoric, if you read the recent a couple of days, statements by the prime minister's office. so we need to keep 2 or topics in mind at the same time. yes, it is positive that the government is aiming to. what can i say broaden the democratic civil space in the country? but the real problem is the civil war,

which is wrecking havoc in and all and part of it you're, you're an inward in auto, mia? adam care till there was talking about these mixed messages that he says are going on when it comes to the government. on the one hand, you have the release of these prisoners and you have talk of a dialogue. and then on the other hand, you have these air strikes that have happened. have we heard anything from the government about these air strikes? has there been any, any in any information shared for by the government about no, i, i certainly haven't seen any, but there's 2 kinds of reports of 1st indeed is that the aerial attacks that apparently have killed a lot of civilians as well. and then the 2nd part, which is that a t p a fighters are actually engaging in a, in a counter offensive in some parts of the border areas was, was i'm hot, especially at their, their i area. and they said there is a significant indeed at the trouble, they're still taishan that is lying at that can disrupt any progress towards fees

or the same time. i think these are important steps that have been taken, and we should also wait and see on the as the government then unveiled as a strategy towards, towards peace as, as 2 or more said, there is a, there is a fundamental need for a piece process that then enables the success of the doubt. org. so there is indeed mix it signor's now. but i think we have, you know, if we haven't had any, any, any time, rudy, to process what has happened and other measures would, would, would have to be in bed. but i think there is a genuine, an indication off accepting that war is not going to solve the problems. that there has to be some kind of process, some kind of negotiation. but in terms of how exactly that would be designed, what, what would be the strategist, what would be the outcomes that the government seeks to see that i think would, would, would take some time before it emerged. and we've also to remember that, you know, this is, this is not an easy decision. it's a very, very difficult, very controversial decision. a lot of people have expressed their anger,

their frustration for several reasons. one is of course the desire to see justice, you know, there has been so much suffering as since the warsaw that had actually been before that, that people want justice. be people want to see somebody held accountable out to that. that that is, that his own portrait as secondary and i think pops more fundamentally. a lot of people have that have very little trust that very, very to confidence in the government out there a critical mass at a critical segment of society that doesn't have confidence in the government. and so it's legit. you know, these points of these agreements, these episodes of these agreements are an indication of a fundamental problem of lack of confidence at partly because especially after the june envision dpi left vision of our foreign amato regions. people felt like they have been lied to, that they had been exposed to, to brutalities, that they didn't imagine. even at the government was telling them that they had a strategy. that nothing of that nothing of an invasion or anything would what

would happen. and so the government would have to work really hard, want to assure people that there will be exposed to any danger, especially people in i'm hot enough, are that are close to the fire. i think that there has to be significant assurance and also taking serious measures toward space to reduce the risk of a potential escalation of the conflict. i will, i, i'd like to ask you from your vantage point, just how genuine is the prime minister's offer of a peaceful solution right now? i think it is, you know, it in the face or the very brutal, accommodating experience that you have. you had over the last year and a half and significant transformation of the political landscape, primarily because of the decisions that the payment that has taken. it is very difficult at this point to trust the prime minister and his government. i mean, in national about a process in a country like it, you appear with a contested,

very complex history. with contrasting visions of the future, we had a major political actors agree on the kind of country of the kind of people that they want to be going forward. it is very difficult to see how in national dell causes that is not genuine. that's not credible that to not inclusive would help for this country's progress. now the government's public position so far. if those who are engage an arbiter conflict will not be part of the national battle process, namely the defense forces or depression are. these are groups with significant consequences behind them. a national level process that doesn't include forces cannot be an inclusive national level process. it cannot hope to hold your peers foundation, foundational longstanding problem. the only way this country come move forward. if all stakeholders on all side are prepared to make that painful compromise, that is necessary. this is

a country with significant divergence in terms of what people want. no one can get everything that they want in a country like you tube yet, but it is important to taking the existing institution as a starting point to find a solution for the crisis that has been established in the country. but we need to see a lot more from the government and the prime minister in terms of making those painful conversations compromises. and as i said at the beginning, primary responsibility lies with the prime minister and his government to create the conditions for that kind of and that will assist you the country to it, more rural, sustainable or future care till i saw you darling, along to a lot of what a wall was saying there. so i want to ask you what your reaction is, but also i want to ask you from your point of view, what has to happen for a national dialogue process to be a success? well, i think the sequencing here is important,

a national dialogue process to create at durable new political configuration. so to say, or with your peer need to include all parties there. part is which are really challenging the death european state would you can say are the t, d, f and we're late to day and a number of other smaller arm groups. so they start in the wrong end. their peace negotiations need to take place 1st, or rather a success, no facilities agreement need to be on the table 1st. and then you can start to think about then all inclusive political dialogue process moving forward. but as of today, the governments did concede this t, d, f will a and the other fighting units as terrorist organizations which they will not negotiate with. and so in, in that regard, a national dialogue will be mute as so to say, or,

or not relevant to the key issues challenging as you get, which is to see when war. and again, it goes back to the constitutional framework. it goes back to the key issues or what death you get east, and however you should be organized to accommodate the diversity of its people. and here is the core core problem. and i think m a, 1st of all, that political context to political environments need to be a civil environment. it cannot be an environment in war. and at the same time, conduct a political dialogue. adam, in your previous answer, you touched on just how difficult things are for people in ethiopia as a result of this conflict. so i want to ask you a little bit about the humanitarian dimension of all this. i mean, we've heard again and again over the past year, just how dire the humanitarian crisis is that is unfolding in ethiopia. from what

you know about what's going on, how difficult has the situation become, just how dire is it for civilians? i'm thank you so much. oh, quick not to watch a turn war said i, he is right that we have to find a way, a solution to the crisis that is engulfing it's your peer. and without finding a peaceful solution to the problems, it's very difficult to have the conditions for, for genuine inclusive data that the country needs. and at the same time, we should not think only in linear terms. so sequencing the idea of sequencing is not necessarily where relevant the bose can go a hand in hand and, but indeed a priority should be a to stop that to silence the guns and, and find and, and, and try and create the conditions for, for peace that would then create the conditions for, for proper dialogue in terms of the humanitarian situation, your rights that has been, essentially the country has been bleeding and you know what we hear about depending

on who speaks, everybody emphasizes their own suffering. but what is true is that it's not just the people in on the bother foods into gray, and i'm high enough. are i? but across the country are, are suffering now that the humanitarian consequences of the conflict and, and so one of the center functions of the government. i think one of the responsibility of the government is to ensure that there is equip, equitable access to humanitarian provisions in all these wages and across the country to make sure that we can avoid suffering and days that is necessary. that that is not necessary. and that certainly worsens the, the conflict and the, the grievance rather than helping it. and so making sure that the people in to go, i have access equitable access to win montero provisions. people in our fine amada, are all of them getting that i think should be, it should be a massive priority. and perhaps, you know, going back to where we started slowing down the confrontation, both from the tpr left and the federal government said federal government, we're stopping the, the aerial attacks. and also the t p left stopping what,

what are reported reports. it provoked publications on, on the borders that can then create the conditions for 1st resorting the monetary problem and then also perhaps resuming or in there as also resuming services. and, and that can lead then build a confidence towards a genuine piece process. kito, i saw you reacting a lot to what to adam was saying, did you want to jump in? oh, i agree with it with many of the points raised here. and it doesn't need to be in a linear sequencing. but certainly when an political dialogue will start, where maybe next week, or a clear signal from the government versus the t d f and will a in term. so succession of facilities agreement is, should be in place. and i think also some of the parties who are invited by the government to take part in a national dialogue. we could, does a condition that this should be an all inclusive national dialogue,

and they don't want to enter a dialogue without t p less and less, for instance. so m, it goes hand in hand and, and the problem is that the government is sending out mc singles and which makes it difficult to trust to genuity at the same time as distressed by adam. that this is a bit of high risk, a play by the government. they have received from the mental criticism from man pan at the organist. and i'm hot are based political actors in particular that they are showing moralist. tricina acts by releasing some of these prisoners. so it is, it is a high game, high gamble by the prime minister to do what he does it, but he should be even more clear in the way a, his office is communicating versus the civil war aspects of the situation at the okay, how all over all where do things stand right now when it comes to the conflict?

well, the conflict is still very active. you know, recently when the guy in defense forces left them her region and declared that they are withdrawing to the borders of to grey and the european federal government announced that would not be advancing that the gray region under state. we told that that would create an ample opportunity for diplomatic actions to be strengthened and for the parties to come to any wish hitting table. but we begun to see that there is a small scale on station around the border. and of course is drawing a tax and an aerial bombardment that's created to really a very toxic environment for any meaningful dialogue to comment. i just want to comment on the points are both adam and shit raise in terms of the need for sequencing events. of course things don't have to be necessarily linear, but it's important that we have

a case for sequencing of these events. the reason i say that is because if the starting point of a major critical poster such as a national dialogue is exclusionary. if it begins by excluded is commences by shooting certain key political actors. the army was political after do not have the opportunity to participate in terms of setting the rules for the national barrel process. so when you create, for example, the commission, we're a national barrel. and when the commission is structured in certain ways where it's independence would become questionable because it dependents, for example, on the government during the party for expect it does not create a significant problem. the process would be seen as excluded from the beginning. so when we have this exclusionary beginnings, we end up in a day end that complicates the process. so it is important that we have a careful sequencing of events. i think the political leaders that were relieved

mentally, particularly individuals within the, almost as congress that as your, because these are people with significant experience will leading peaceful resistance movement, significant support within the automatic or states, the largest region in the country. they would be a significant help to this process, but it is important that the government is committed to a genuine, credible, inclusive political process. adam, when it comes to national dialogue, is outside mediation needed. i. i don't think it's necessary and, and, and i think i want to say also that i agree was a wall that we, we cannot start on own a bad footing. so it's very important indeed that and it will be unit at the beginning. so for the, the, the dialogue process are considered inclusive or from, from, from the get go. and said, the point i was trying to make or was, was that the process is only starting that the legislation has indeed been accepted

about in terms of issues for us as a who is going to participate in the data process. and all of that will actually be decided in once the commission has been set up on or so there is in there is enough time. so hopefully by then out we will have a, some kind of breakthrough so that we can, we have a clear idea of that a piece process emerging and how they can then potentially that lead to the, the inclusion of the, an groups in the national data process. that i agree that without that inclusion it would be, it will, it will be a very, very difficult for you to succeed. and in terms of the year. yeah, the, the, the challenge or the, you know, the dialogue process create the opportunities that, that the data process acquits. i will also touched on it are fundamental. these agreements are on issues that i call our pre, pre democratic about our politics has been obsessed on on those issues. and finding a solution, some with some kind of understanding and potentially even

a consensus among the quick or critical mass of with europeans or on on those fundamental issues will then allow us to focus on what i consider our daily democratic politics about services, about poly policies, and, and, and all of that as i think it's, it's very critical and it would have to be inclusive. and at the same time, i think we, we need to, to recognize. and i think all of us do now this is a very difficult, a very complex process. and the initial steps have been taken as a we have to encourage the government to deliver better, right. rather than always. busy insisting on on the negative side. all right, well, we have run out of time, so we're going to have to leave the conversation there. thanks so much. all of our guests, i will follow yet till turnville and adam cassie ebay, and thank you to for watching. you can see the program again any time by visiting our website al jazeera dot com, and for further discussion, go to our facebook page. that's facebook dot com, forward slash ha inside story. you can also join the conversation on twitter. our

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