PM Calls for Fundamental Shift in Ethiopia’s Peace-Building, Dialogue, and Political Culture

Addis Ababa, February 3, 2026 (FMC) – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called for a fundamental reimagining of Ethiopia’s peace-building and conflict-resolution mechanisms, citing a long-standing dependence on force, a culture of betrayal, and external fears over Ethiopia’s growth as major drivers of the country’s protracted peace challenges.

Addressing members of the House of People’s Representatives today, the Prime Minister said Ethiopians have historically been conditioned to settle disagreements through confrontation rather than dialogue, a tendency that has undermined sustainable peace and national cohesion.

He explained that this culture of confrontation is deeply ingrained, often taking root at the family level and later shaping political and social behavior that manifests in recurring conflicts. According to him, achieving lasting peace requires a transformation of political culture and social norms by placing dialogue, trust, and mutual understanding at the center, instead of coercion and division.

The Prime Minister’s remarks come amid ongoing national efforts to advance reconciliation and strengthen institutional frameworks aimed at ensuring durable peace and stability across the country.

On the country’s historic and inclusive national dialogue, Abiy said the current generation bears the responsibility of building and shaping Ethiopia through dialogue. In this regard, he noted that the National Dialogue Commission has identified key agenda items and has been undertaking commendable work.

“Going forward, the Commission is expected to engage a broad range of participants in in-depth discussions on these agendas and to present ideas accordingly,” he said, adding that the process so far has demonstrated that Ethiopians share closely aligned interests and aspirations.

Turning to this year’s general election, the Prime Minister reiterated that the government is working intensively to ensure a peaceful, fair, and inclusive process.

“With regard to the election, my response to the Ethiopian people is this: let us judge it by the results,” he said. “One point I want to state with confidence is that this parliament will be a place where many diverse voices are heard in various ways.”

He also expressed hope that the election will be conducted peacefully and that all forces participating in the process will benefit from it.

During his address, the Prime Minister further emphasized that the people of Tigray must be active participants in the political arena, affirming that they seek peace and development. He described the people of Tigray as peace-loving, determined to overcome current hardships, work diligently, and transform their lives through their own efforts, while growing together in cooperation with fellow Ethiopians.

However, Abiy noted that the people of Tigray have not historically been actors in the political arena but rather a stage on which others perform. “A stage is something others play on; it does not act by itself,” he said. “Therefore, the people of Tigray must become actors in their own right. To achieve this, a new political mindset is required, and politicians in Tigray must move from being supporting actors to leading actors.”

Addressing the Horn of Africa, the Prime Minister said the region has been stitched together to prevent it from tearing apart and repeatedly patched to keep it from unraveling. Despite being home to peoples closely connected by culture and language, he said the region remains marked by intense rivalry and external interference.

He added that disputes over shared waters have further complicated the situation, drawing external actors into internal affairs and turning what should have been a basis for mutual support into a source of conflict. “For this reason, the region faces its own set of challenges, and significant efforts are underway to address and resolve them,” he said. “I believe these efforts will succeed.”