Nigerian Cleric Hails Ethiopia’s National Dialogue Conference, Calls for Further Dialogue

Addis Ababa, August 29, 2026 (ENA) —Nigeria's Interfaith Mediation Centre Co-director, Reverend James Movel Wuye, has lauded Ethiopia’s commitment to resolving deep-seated political and social fractures through dialogue rather than force, describing the recently concluded National Dialogue Conference as a model for the continent.

He also urged leaders to “keep dialogue”, calling it the only route to sustainable peace and inclusive development.

 Speaking to ENA from Nigeria, Reverend Wuye praised Ethiopia’s leadership for choosing conversation over confrontation, saying “I am so glad that the Ethiopian people and the government of Ethiopia are using dialogue as the alternative to using kinetic means of solving problems.”

 

 The globally recognized peace builder, who once lost his right hand in religious violence before co-founding an interfaith peace center with a Muslim imam, stressed that dialogue is not always immediately embraced but remains indispensable.

 “It is the only way we can use to save the country, to save the lives of women, to save the lives of the children, and to have sustainable peace and progress in Ethiopia,” he stressed.

 Reverend Wuye expressed hope that sustained dialogue would extend such progress nationwide, reinforcing Ethiopia’s symbolic leadership in Africa.

 He also urged Ethiopians to persist in dialogue. “Do dialogue, and do dialogue, and do dialogue, and sweat, and sweat, and sweat. It’s better to sweat than to bleed blood.”

 Highlighting the critical role of faith and traditional leaders, Reverend Wuye said that “in Africa, we are the custodians of the value and the tradition of the people… If they agree on anything, it is easier for the followers to follow.”

He called for the inclusion of religious and traditional leaders from all faiths to "marshal out a sustainable dialogue."

 

 Reverend Wuye, who has facilitated over 150 peace workshops and holds multiple honorary doctorates, including from the University of Glasgow and University of Massachusetts, serves on the African Union’s Interfaith Steering Committee.

Ethiopia's National Dialogue Conference, which convened nearly 4,000 delegates from July 15 to August 22, 2026 at the Addis International Convention Center, produced approximately 400 recommendations across eight agenda pillars, including governance, federalism, religious affairs, and peace building.