Ethiopia's National Dialogue Conference Opens in Addis Ababa

Ethiopia's National Dialogue Conference opened in Addis Ababa on July 15, 2026. AllAfrica reported that more than 4,000 representatives from over 1,200 woredas attended the event organized by the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, senior government officials, members of the diplomatic community, religious leaders, and elders attended the opening ceremony.

Delegates had arrived in the capital over the past week by coordinated air and land transport and were housed at the Ethiopian Civil Service University and the Federal Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institute. Participants completed orientation sessions on dialogue procedures, deliberation methods, and consensus-building before the formal start.

The commission briefed delegates on the rules that will govern the three-week conference.

The agenda covers eight thematic pillars identified through nationwide consultations: state building, structure and form of government, constitutional status of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, religious affairs, institutional building, rule of law and human rights, socio-economic affairs, anti-corruption and good governance, and peacebuilding.

The commission, established in 2021 and operational since 2022, also collected input from the Ethiopian diaspora, Bloomberg reported.