National Dialogue Marks Historic Turning Point in Ethiopia’s Quest for Lasting Peace and National Consensus — House Speaker

Addis Ababa, August 22, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia’s historic National Dialogue Conference has marked a defining moment in the country’s efforts to address longstanding national challenges through inclusive dialogue, consensus and peaceful engagement, House of Peoples’ Representatives Speaker Tasege Chaffo said.

Congratulating Ethiopians on the successful conclusion of the National Dialogue Conference, the Speaker described the process as a historic chapter in which the country’s future was collectively shaped and foundations were laid for a stronger Ethiopia.

He said the central objective of the dialogue was to address through discussion fundamental national issues that had remained sources of conflict in Ethiopia for extended periods.

The Speaker described the process as the first inclusive and comprehensive national platform of its kind in Ethiopia’s history, bringing diverse sections of society together to deliberate on issues of shared national importance.

He recalled that the process was conducted through the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission, an independent federal institution established under Proclamation No. 1265/2014 and mandated to lead the process within a legal framework.

Since its establishment, the Commission has undertaken extensive consultations reaching communities down to the district and kebele levels, engaging pastoralists, farmers, women, youth, persons with disabilities, religious institutions, political parties, civil society organizations and members of the diaspora, he said.

Such broad engagement, he noted, helped strengthen the credibility and public ownership of the dialogue by incorporating perspectives from across Ethiopian society.

More than 4,000 participants drawn from across the country subsequently engaged in extensive, peaceful and democratic deliberations on eight major national issues identified through consultations with the public and stakeholders.

The process demonstrated that Ethiopia’s challenges can be addressed around the table through dialogue rather than through a politics of force and war, the Speaker said.

He noted that the successful conclusion of the conference had generated a range of major recommendations intended to provide lasting solutions to the country’s national challenges.

The recommendations, he said, provide a foundation for future policy reforms, constitutional and institutional changes, sustainable reconciliation and the strengthening of national consensus.

The Speaker said the overarching objective of the dialogue is to heal historical fractures and hand over to the next generation a country in which peace is safeguarded and prosperity secured.

He called on Ethiopians, political forces and government institutions to take ownership of the outcomes of the dialogue and translate them into concrete action.

The Speaker also expressed appreciation, on his own behalf and that of the House of Peoples’ Representatives, to all those who contributed to the successful completion of the historic national process.