Ethiopia

Ethiopia launches historic national dialogue in Addis Ababa to address issues

Ethiopia Nat'l Dialogue Participants Praise Inclusiveness of Forum. Photo: X/EthiopiaNewsA

By Lucy Mumbi | Thursday, May 30, 2024

Since its inception, the Commission has been actively identifying participants. This current phase marks the culmination of their efforts, beginning with an agenda-setting event in Addis Ababa.

Addis Ababa has inaugurated Ethiopia's first-ever national dialogue, a monumental consultation effort addressing historical and contemporary issues.

The nationwide dialogue will run from May 29 to June 4, 2024, and involves representatives from various societal segments coming together to collaboratively select key discussion topics.

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According to the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA), over 2500 individuals from 11 societal groups, such as farmers, pastoralists, and community leaders, have convened at the recently built Adwa Museum in the city centre.

In addition to these representatives, city-level stakeholders, political parties, religious institutions, and civic societies will elect local representatives to join others from different regions and stakeholders for the national-level discussions.

The eleven-member Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission, tasked with ensuring comprehensive consultations and reconciliation, aims to heal divisions, reach consensus on critical national issues, and navigate the country through its complex challenges.

Since its inception, the Commission has been actively identifying participants. This current phase marks the culmination of their efforts, beginning with an agenda-setting event in Addis Ababa.

During the opening session of the Addis Ababa city chapter of the national dialogue on Wednesday, Chief Commissioner of the Ethiopian National Dialogue (ENDC) Professor Mesfin Arya said Ethiopia will address its age-old contradictions through participatory, inclusive, and open-minded dialogue and be exemplary in this regard for the rest of Africa.

He stressed that any disagreement could be settled through amicable and constructive dialogue instead of trying to impose one’s ideas through force.

On December 29, 2021, the House of People’s Representatives marked a significant milestone, with the approval of Proclamation No. 1265/2014, establishing the National Dialogue Commission (NDC).

The move was followed by the appointment of eleven commissioners on February 21, 2022.

Initially met with scepticism from major political parties, including the Ethiopian Political Parties Joint Council (EPPJC), the NDC faced calls for a temporary halt to ensure meaningful participation and transparency. Despite these challenges, the Commission diligently fulfilled its legal obligations.

Among its achievements, the Commission successfully identified candidates for the upcoming national dialogue across Ethiopia's 11 regional states and two city administrations.

As the third most significant diplomatic centre globally and the headquarters of the African Union (AU), Addis Ababa boasts a diverse diplomatic community, including numerous embassies and international organisations.

This international presence underscores the interest of global entities in monitoring the city-level dialogue's outcomes.

Furthermore, Addis Ababa serves as a melting pot of Ethiopia's diverse ethnic groups, making discussions held in the country particularly influential for dialogues across the regions and city administrations.