A group of concerned Ethiopians representing various political organizations, armed and civil society groups, scholars, and activists convened in Amsterdam to discuss what they described as Ethiopia's "worsening political, security, and economic crises."

The representatives said the gathering, which follows a similar meeting held in August 2025 in the United States, was organized to deliberate on "the importance of political transitioning, the principles and process of political settlement, mechanisms for transition to peace, and the management of external actors' influence."

The statement asserted that after seven years in power, "Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's unchecked power, war-mongering, and governance failures have plunged Ethiopia into a grave political and security crisis."

The statement further said that "widespread violence has led to the breakdown of security, severe economic hardship, and growing social instability," while "reckless foreign policy decisions have damaged Ethiopia's diplomatic standing and now threaten its national interests and sovereignty."

They also blamed the diversion of national resources to "war operations and vanity projects" for crippling the economy and devastating livelihoods.

They also urged stakeholders to "develop a framework to fill the security vacuum in a post-Abiy Ethiopia, enabling peaceful resolution of disputes that have divided the opposition," and to "formulate alternative ideas for a transitional arrangement rooted in peace, stability, and continuity of basic state functions."