A report from the Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD) expresses the organization’s concerns over the legitimacy, inclusivity, and tendency of transparency of the ongoing national dialogue process.
CARD published a report scrutinizing the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC) earlier this week, and contending the body was established through a proclamation without sufficient consultation and lacking representation from the Tigray Regional State.
CARD claims the dialogue process has largely excluded stakeholders, including political parties and civil society organizations, undermining its intended participatory nature.
Likewise, the report underlines the exclusion of armed groups such as the Oromo Liberation Army and Amhara Fano militants, both of which are actively engaged in insurgency against the government. The organization says their exclusion casts doubt on the dialogue’s ability to achieve a truly representative and peaceful resolution to Ethiopia’s ongoing conflicts.
The 42-page report outlined concerns ranging from controversies surrounding the selection of commissioners to the absence of representatives from the Tigray region, which is still reeling from the effects of war and without representation in the Parliament that established the Commission.
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Despite women’s representation in the Commission’s proceedings, the center said that these efforts may be insufficient without proper capacity-building initiatives to ensure meaningful engagement.
“Women have been identified as a key interest group in this process, but there is a need for more robust support to enable their full participation,” the report reads. “Similarly, underrepresented communities require more focused attention in the agenda-setting process.”
CARD is also critical of the lack of transparency within the Commission, citing poorly structured communication and the lack of a clear communication strategy as significant barriers to the dialogue’s success.
The report recommended ensuring that the government does not dominate the dialogue and that all interest groups are given a fair voice, conducting training and capacity-building activities for communities in conflict-prone regions like Amhara and Oromia, and making the participant and agenda selection processes public to enhance trust and credibility.
Mengistu Assefa, a senior officer at CARD, emphasized that the report is more than just a document or a position paper; it reflects the views, concerns, and public perceptions regarding the Commission’s establishment and proceedings.
Mengistu disclosed that CARD took part in discussions with Commission representatives earlier this month, and said they barely acknowledged the issues and claimed to be working diligently to address them.
However, Mengistu believes that many critical issues and public concerns remain unresolved and that greater inclusivity is needed from the Commission to address the longstanding public grievances effectively.
Other observers have urged stakeholders to prioritize solving the issues hampering the legitimacy and credibility of the national dialogue process.
Despite the Commission inviting armed groups to negotiations and extending security guarantees, observers note the government has not said anything about security guarantees for rebel groups during their proposed participation in the dialogue.
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