National Dialogue Conference Reaches Common Ground on Most Issues, Says ENDC Deputy Chief

Addis Ababa, August 17, 2026 (ENA) — Participants in Ethiopia’s National Dialogue Conference are reaching common ground on the majority of issues under discussion, according to Hirut Gebre Selassie, Deputy Chief Commissioner of the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC).

Speaking on the ongoing conference, the Deputy Chief Commissioner explained that participants initially deliberated within their respective groups before electing 15 representatives from each group to harmonize recommendations.

Currently, approximately 120 representatives from eight groups are working to reconcile and consolidate the proposals developed during these extensive deliberations.

She explained that the representatives are tasked with ensuring that recommendations from the eight groups contain no contradictions or duplications and are organized into a coherent and unified format.

The representatives are also reviewing the decisions reached by the other groups to gain a broader understanding of their respective proposals and align the recommendations accordingly.

The representatives were selected last Thursday and have been working since then to complete the harmonization process. Once finalized and refined, the consolidated recommendations will be returned to all eight groups for further review, she said.

Each group will assess its own draft recommendations as well as those produced by the other groups and then members will provide input on proposals they did not directly participate in developing, with the feedback to be incorporated into the final document.

The commissioner further elaborated that the eight groups bring together broad representation from across Ethiopia, including stakeholders from all woredas, with participants engaging in the process on an equal footing.

She said the groups are scheduled to meet this afternoon to consolidate their work and submit feedback.

The feedback will be incorporated by tomorrow, then 4,000 participants are expected to formally approve the recommendations on Wednesday.

The deputy chief commissioner also acknowledged that grievances have been raised during the conference.

She said the ENDC is investigating reported concerns and issuing decisions, while a dedicated committee will continue to review outstanding complaints.

According to Commissioner Hirut, the committee assesses complaints and submits its findings to the Council of the Commission, which makes the final decisions.

According to her, the committee evaluates complaints and presents findings to the Council of Commission, which then delivers the final rulings.

She further said that while the conference is guided by the spirit of consultation and open dialogue, parties may still issue statements independently, and the Commission will respond to those as well.

She emphasized that national dialogues rarely achieve complete agreement on every issue, but said the ongoing Ethiopian National Dialogue Conference has succeeded in building consensus on the majority of topics.

“We are truly pleased,” she said, adding that reaching this stage provides an opportunity to express gratitude to the Ethiopian people and advance the understanding and peace the country seeks.