Addis Ababa, May 16, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s Government Communication Service (GCS) has described the country’s national dialogue process as a historic and strategic undertaking that is laying the foundation for inclusive national consensus and long-term state-building, underscoring what it called the government’s sustained political commitment to the process.
In a statement, GCS said the ongoing national dialogue initiative represents a structured effort to address long-standing national issues through broad-based consultation and peaceful engagement.
The Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission has completed the identification and deployment of representatives across regional states, while also conducting extensive pre-consultation activities aimed at gathering and consolidating agendas for the national discussion.
According to the statement, the process has ensured participation from a wide range of societal groups, including religious institutions, political parties, civic organizations, and professional associations. This inclusive engagement, it noted, has strengthened public ownership of the dialogue and helped establish a solid basis for building national consensus.
The agenda-setting phase has already brought forward key national issues for deliberation, including longstanding and complex matters requiring collective attention, while reinforcing a political environment grounded in multiparty engagement and peaceful dialogue.
GCS also highlighted the engagement of more than 50 political parties in the process, noting that their participation and contribution of agendas marks a significant milestone in ensuring inclusivity. The Commission, it said, has created a platform that has brought together political actors with historically divergent positions to deliberate on national issues in a shared forum.
These developments, GCS added, reflect the gradual emergence of a “culture of listening” in Ethiopia’s political landscape and signal progress toward consensus-based approaches to resolving differences.
The statement further indicated that the achievements recorded so far are expected to accelerate efforts to address structural challenges and strengthen Ethiopia’s long-term national development and state-building trajectory.