Ethiopia: Govt Announces Completion of Transitional Justice Implementation Roadmap

19 August 2024
Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)

Addis Abeba — The Secretariat of the Transitional Justice Institutional Coordination Mechanism has announced the completion of Ethiopia's Transitional Justice Implementation Roadmap, following the recent adoption of the Transitional Justice Policy by the Council of Ministers.

The Secretariat stated that the roadmap "guides the overall implementation, follow-up, and support schemes under the Policy."

It reported that this is part of "various preparatory measures" taken to transition to a "full-fledged implementation phase."

According to the Secretariat's statement, work is underway on legal frameworks to establish "independent and impartial institutions" for implementing the transitional justice mechanism components.

This includes legislation for "the Criminalization and Punishment of International Crimes in Ethiopia" and to "organize the Truth, Amnesty, and Reparations Commission," the statement said.

The Federal Supreme Court is overseeing the drafting of legislation for a Special Bench to adjudicate "cases of criminal accountability falling within the fold of transitional justice," the Secretariat reported.

Teams of experts are preparing these legal frameworks, according to the Secretariat's statement.

It also mentioned that "national and international consultation platforms shall be organized for the public and stakeholders to provide detailed feedback on the draft legislation" once completed.

The Secretariat emphasized the importance of the timely adoption of these laws, stating in the release that they will play "a critical role in realizing the policy's objectives and, more precisely, in dispensing comprehensive justice by operationalizing transitional justice mechanisms, including truth-seeking, reconciliation, criminal accountability, conditional amnesty, reparation, and institutional reform."

Today's announcement follows the Ministry of Justice's recent disclosure regarding the completion of a draft implementation roadmap for the newly approved transitional justice policy.

This policy is intended to address "the overlapping and wide range of victims of human rights violations, conflicts, narratives, and abuses that have occurred in different eras in the country."

The Ministry of Justice has indicated that the roadmap will direct the implementation of this transitional justice policy, which received approval from the Council of Ministers in April 2024.

The Ministry further noted that the initial phase will focus on establishing independent institutions in alignment with the policy's framework and ensuring the effective operationalization of all transitional justice mechanisms.

In addition, the roadmap encompasses both temporary and permanent structures to support the involvement of civil society.

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