Turhan Saleh, Resident Representative, UNDP Ethiopia, raised a crucial question: “why does peace matter?” He explained that Ethiopia serves as the anchor of stability in the Horn of Africa. “The country has already seen structural, economic, political, demographic, and environmental transitions. UNDP's commitment is shifting from saving lives to securing them long-term. Ethiopia could become a success story for the international community to learn about future DDR opportunities,” stressed Saleh.

In the subsequent panel discussion moderated by Mr. Nobuhisa Degawa, Executive Commentator at NHK, who had reported on the Tigray region conflict, diverse perspectives on DDR in Ethiopia were shared and discussed.

Dr. Kenji Isezaki, Professor Emeritus from Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, shared his own experiences with DDR in various conflict zones where UNDP was involved, including Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, East Timor, and Mindanao, Philippines. He expressed concern about the proposed Ethiopian DDR, particularly its separation from Security Sector Reform (SSR) and stressed the need for a balance between peace and justice, recognizing that peace dividends may not always align with the pursuit of justice.

Dr. Katsuki Morihara, Chief Representative of the JICA Ethiopia Office, emphasized the crucial role of international actors in sustaining long-term peace and stability. He provided examples from JICA's operations in South Sudan, highlighting that as long as 10 years were required to complete the construction of the bridge in Juba. This bridge, now called the 'Freedom Bridge' by local residents, serves as a symbol of the enduring significance of peace in the country. The project, financed by JICA's grant aid, faced numerous interruptions associated with the recurrence of security incidents.

Saleh highlighted that many ex-combatants are young, and an estimated 20% of them in Tigray are female. He raised the issue of sexual and gender-based violence and emphasized the need to help ex-combatants return to schools. Job generation is critical, he argued, given that many young and unemployed men eventually become combatants.

Regarding the success of DDR initiatives, Dr. Isezaki highlighted the challenge of defining success in DDR, given its diverse outcomes, making a simple success-fail classification difficult. He provided the example of Sierra Leone, where state-building failed despite the success in the reintegration of ex-combatants and emphasized that all stakeholders in the process need to engage, and that DDR should not be addressed alone but together with Security Sector Reform (SSR).

Finally, in terms of investment in Ethiopia and business opportunities after DDR efforts, Dr. Morihara highlighted the increasing interest of Japanese companies looking to start new businesses in Ethiopia. He stated, "As success stories of businesses from Ethiopia increase, I believe there will be even more attention from the Japanese private sector on Ethiopia in the future."