Warring Parties Must Listen to the Calls for Cessation of Hostilities

Across our nation and beyond, the sound of guns has too often drowned out the voices of reason, dialogue, and humanity.
Once again, warring parties are being asked to listen to the calls for a cessation of hostilities. This appeal is not coming from a single group or institution; it is a collective cry from civilians, religious leaders, elders, civil society, and the international community people who bear the daily cost of conflict while having the least power to stop it.
If you are not listening to the church leaders, will you continue hesitating until God visits you in a dream?
War does not exist in isolation. Every bullet fired tears through families, livelihoods, and the fragile social fabric that holds communities together. Children grow up knowing the sound of explosions better than the promise of education.
For women and the elderly, conflict multiplies vulnerability, exposing them to hunger, displacement, and violence. These are not abstract consequences; they are lived realities for ordinary citizens who simply want peace.
These calls are not demands for a surrender or weakness. They are appeals for wisdom and responsibility. A ceasefire creates space for humanitarian aid to reach those in need, for dialogue to replace violence, and for trust, however small, to begin rebuilding.
Without silence from the guns, meaningful political solutions remain impossible. History has shown repeatedly that no side truly wins a prolonged war; victory claimed through destruction leaves behind a broken nation that all must inhabit.
Leaders of warring parties carry a heavy moral burden. Their decisions shape not only military outcomes but also the future of generations yet unborn. Listening to calls for peace requires the courage to place national interest above personal or factional gain, and the courage to acknowledge that lasting power comes from legitimacy and consent, not fear.
True leadership is measured not by how long one can fight, but by how wisely one can choose peace when the opportunity arises. The public, too, has a role to play. Citizens must continue to speak out against violence, resist narratives that glorify war, and support initiatives that promote reconciliation.
The international community’s calls for a cessation of hostilities must be matched with consistent pressure and genuine support for peace processes. Selective condemnation and empty statements only prolong suffering.
What is needed is sustained engagement that prioritizes civilian protection, accountability, and inclusive dialogue.
At this critical moment, the warring parties should not continue with destructions, they should listen to their people, to the voices of peace, and to the lessons of history.
A cessation of hostilities is not the end of the journey, but it is the necessary first step. Without it, the nation remains trapped in a cycle of pain. With it, hope long denied can finally begin to breathe again.