Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission

Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission

የኢትዮጵያ ብሔራዊ ምክክር ኮሚሽን
Agency overview
Formed	29 December 2021
Jurisdiction	Ethiopia
Headquarters	Sidst Kilo, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Agency executive	Mesfin Araya, Chairman
Website	ethiondc.org.et/en

The Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ሀገራዊ ምክክር ኮሚሽን; ENDC) is an independent government body that established in 2021 to foster national consensus, sustainable peace, and reconciliation in the country through an inclusive dialogue.

It was established in aftermath of the Tigray war, to overcome challenges in conflict resolution between the federal government and the Tigray regional government.

Overview

The Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC) was established on 29 December 2021 under Proclamation No. 1265/2021 to foster national consensus, sustainable peace, and reconciliation in the country through an inclusive dialogue. The establishment coincided with the worsened situation in Tigray Region where the federal government and the Tigray regional force engaged in war. On 11 February 2022, the House of Peoples' Representatives approved 11 commissioners, more than 600 people were nominated by the public sectors for appointment. 42 individuals were shortlisted through screening procedure and consultation.

The Commission has garnered criticism through its foundation where many stakeholders and the public objected the nomination and selection process of the commissioners. This includes political intervention and lean toward the ruling Prosperity Party.

Extension of mandate

Ethiopia's parliament on the 18th of February 2026 unanimously decided to prolong the nation's peace and dialogue process by eight months, demonstrating their continued support for attempts to resolve domestic problems through communication.The decision was approved at the House's first emergency session in its fifth year of operation, during which the members of the house discussed the Commission's performance report.

During the report presentation, the commissioner stated that the commission was able to reach several regions but faced security and operational challenges in Tigray, which hindered comprehensive consultations there. The committee for Democratic Affairs proposed the extension of the commission’s mandate to allow completion of the outstanding dialogues and ensure the adoption of the conclusions are adopted with full house endorsement of the proposal.

Criticism and challenges

The legitimacy of the dialogue process conducted by the Commission has been questioned. According to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), the selection process of the participants involved in the process by the Commission has failed to consider key conflict actors and their exclusion could weaken the national dialogue process towards achieving a national consensus. In a 2025 policy brief by Clingendael Institute, the credibility of the process is questioned due to the exclusion of key armed and political opposition groups and lack of independence of the Commission.

The academic analysis of the process has brought forward similar views as well. The 2025 article published in the Journal of Contemporary African Studies argues that government interference in the process, exclusion of key armed groups and ongoing civil conflict have reduced its effectiveness. In August 2025, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) reports that the national dialogue process is hindered by insecurity, conflicts and mistrust where key armed and political opposition groups withdraw from the process.

National Dialogue Conference

The national dialogue conference convened by the Commission kicked off in Addis Ababa on 15 July 2026, with more than 4,000 delegates participating in deliberations on the eight agenda areas of the process, which included topics such as peace and reconciliation, governance, political structure, nation building, human rights, and socioeconomic development.