Ethiopia National Dialogue May Leave Some Issues Unresolved, Commission Says

August 11, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

Ethiopia’s national dialogue process may conclude without resolving all eight issues currently under discussion, with some potentially requiring further consultations or being left for future generations, the National Dialogue Commission said. The commission expects to complete its current work with about 4,000 participants within the next one or two weeks before consolidating their recommendations and submitting them to the federal parliament, according to Commissioner Mesfin Araya.

The participants have been divided into eight groups of 500 and are holding structured discussions on the eight agenda items. Stakeholders, experts, observers and rapporteurs are also taking part in the process. Mesfin said differences among participants were expected given the size of the forum and should not be interpreted as evidence that the process was failing.

With more than 4,000 people involved, “differences and prominent voices” were inevitable, he said, responding to concerns raised by the media that pressure on participants could undermine the dialogue, Addis Maleda reported. The commissioner said participants had so far produced encouraging results, with stakeholders and experts actively involved in the discussions.

The commission began consolidating the conference’s work last week with 30 advisers, with the exercise continuing this week. Some working groups have completed their assignments, while others are expected to finish on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mesfin said the eight agenda items were not identical in nature, meaning the time needed to address them could vary depending on how the issues were presented and the preparedness of participants. Some matters could require additional discussions or alternative forms of resolution and could extend beyond the current process, he said.

Mesfin said the commission may not necessarily resolve all eight agenda items, adding that most, all or some of the issues could remain unresolved. The commission has characterised national dialogue as a process for initiating discussions on contentious issues rather than an exercise that must resolve every dispute within a single round of consultations. Once the discussions are completed, the commission plans to consolidate the recommendations before sending them to the federal parliament in accordance with its mandate. It will then monitor implementation of the recommendations at different levels.

Source: FSX Business News