Ethiopia Insight published on 24 August 2026 a commentary titled "Minority Protection Is Ethiopia's Federal Test" by Abdi Edriss, a human rights advocate in Toronto.
As Ethiopia engages in its national dialogue process, the author emphasizes that smaller ethnic and religious communities need institutions they can rely on when their interests diverge from those of the majority. A state becomes stronger when its minorities do not have to fear the majority.
Ethiopia Insight published on 10 August 2026 a commentary titled "The Eritrea Script Exposes Ethiopia's Unity Farce" by Asfaw Gedamu, independent writer.
This is a critique of the National Dialogue process now underway in Ethiopia, and especially the absence of Tigray from the Dialogue. The author discusses the increasing distance between Tigray and the rest of Ethiopia and draws parallels with Eritrean independence. He concludes that the argument for Tigray remaining within the federation is becoming harder to sustain.
Ethiopia Insight published on 27 July 2026 a commentary titled "Amhara Nationalism Faces Historic Choice in National Dialogue" by Henok Ambachew, a pseudonym for a former lecturer at Bahir Dar University.
Ethiopia's ruling Prosperity Party has replaced the EPRDF coalition model with a single national party, which the author says is based on a different organizing principle called "demographic majoritarianism."
The Prosperity Party increasingly reflects the numerical weight of Ethiopia's population. The 45-member executive committee consists of 10 Oromo members, 8 Amharas, 4 Somalis with the remaining distributed among other regional constituencies. This was not the outcome desired by many Amhara elites.
Ethiopia Insight published on 18 July 2026 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's National Dialogue Could Unravel the Federal Bargain" by Muktar Ismail.
On 15 July, Ethiopia's long awaited National Dialogue Conference opened in Addis Ababa with over 4,000 participants from around the nation.
The author argues that many Somalis in Ethiopia view the Conference not as an attempt to achieve national reconciliation but an attempt to revise Ethiopia's federalist form of government, which remains central to Somali preferences.
African Business published on 23 June 2026 an article titled "Where Next for Ethiopia after Abiy Ahmed's Landslide?" by Harry Clynch.
Following the landslide victory by Abiy Ahmed's Prosperity Party in national elections, the article suggests Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed will push for deeper centralization of government power, an acceleration of economic reform, and a continuing effort to obtain access to the sea for landlocked Ethiopia.
Ethiopia Insight published on 13 February 2026 a commentary titled "Reimagining Ethiopia's Constitutional Architecture" by Nagessa Dube, a lawyer in Seattle, Washington.
The author argues that Ethiopia needs constitutional reform. Courts now have almost no authority to interpret the constitution; it is in the hands of a political body. He believes constitutional interpretation needs to be transferred to an independent judiciary and the ongoing National Dialogue offers a rare chance to make this change.
Tigrai Press aired a 40-minute video interview with me on 19 November 2025. Bisrat Bahta asked the questions, all of which dealt with current issues in the Horn of Africa.
Ethiopia Insight published on 28 August 2025 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's National Dialogue Seeks to Smooth the Path to Constitutional Reform" by Leul Estifanos.
The commentary discusses the status of Ethiopia's three-year-old National Dialogue Commission with a focus on the prospects for amending the constitution.
Ethiopia Insight published on 5 June 2025 a commentary titled "Empowering Ethiopia's Judiciary" by Nagessa Dube, a lawyer in Seattle, Washington.
One of the most glaring weaknesses in Ethiopia's system of governance is the lack of an empowered, independent judiciary. Judges must be given the authority to strike down unconstitutional laws.
Ethiopia Insight published on 3 March 2025 a commentary titled "Breaking Ethiopia's Vicious Cycle" by Nagessa Dube, a lawyer in Seattle, Washington, and advocate for Oromo people's rights.
The author concluded that "Ethiopia's path to peace and stability lies in embracing dialogue, compromise, and institutional resilience. The cycle of conflict and power struggles must end, replaced by a political culture rooted in unity, democracy, and reconciliation."
Ethiopia Insight published on 13 September 2024 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Endless Constitutional Chasm and Authoritarian Abyss" by Leul Estifanos, freelance court reporter.
There seems to be a consensus that Ethiopia needs to make changes in its 1995 constitution, but there is no consensus on what the final document should look like. Finding a consensus is even more difficult in Ethiopia's current political environment. The situation today is exacerbated because even the existing constitution is not being fully implemented.
Ethiopia Insight published on 9 July 2024 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Next Steps along a Troubled Road to Democracy" by Nebiyu Daniel Meshesha, former Ethiopian diplomat.
Since the government established the National Dialogue Commission in December 2021, it has done little to bring armed groups and opposition parties that declined to participate into the process. The author argues it is essential to include all key stakeholders. If the government moves forward without them, the process cannot achieve a legitimate outcome.
Ethiopia Insight posted on 28 June 2024 a commentary titled "How Not to Conduct a National Dialogue" by Moges Zewdu Teshome, Vienna School of International Studies.
The author argues that Ethiopia's national dialogue appears to be "an attempt to confuse a domestic audience, buy time, and gain international approval." He concludes that "the process is neither national, nor a dialogue" and offers recommendations to reinvigorate it.
Foreign Policy posted on 6 March 2024 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Amhara Conflict Could Spark Civil War" by Adem Kassie Abebe, vice president of the African Network of Constitutional Lawyers, and Zelalem Moges, an Ethiopian international lawyer.
The decentralized Amhara Fano militia has been in conflict with the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) since August 2023. The militia proclaims to protect Amhara interests by working to transform what it perceives as an anti-Amhara sociopolitical system. There is a common belief among Amhara today that there is a deliberate effort to undermine them. The authors argue that the conflict between the ENDF and Fano militia is reaching a tipping point, and call for a national political dialogue to forestall such a possibility.
World Politics Review published on 21 June 2022 a commentary titled "Ethiopia Just Might Have a Chance for Peace" by Adem Kassie Abebe, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
A reduction of tension between the central government and Tigray region, more humanitarian aid reaching Tigray, and the realization that a "war at whatever cost" is untenable opens the door for a potentially successful national dialogue in Ethiopia.
African Arguments posted on 7 June 2022 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Complicated Barriers to Peace" by Bizuneh Yimenu, University of Kent.
Meaningful progress on peace talks in Ethiopia has been slow. The author identifies a large number of contentious issues that require resolution and offers suggestions for making the peace talks more productive.
Aljazeera posted on 12 April 2022 a commentary titled "Ethiopia: Seizing the Fragile Opening for Peace" by Adem K. Abebe, commentator on the African Union.
The momentum seems to be shifting towards a desire for peace in Ethiopia but the situation remains fragile. One of the most difficult problems remaining is the dispute over future control of western Tigray and Raya by Amhara or Tigrayans.
Ethiopia Insight published on 12 March 2022 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's Stillborn National Dialogue" by Buli Edjeta, director of a research, consultancy, and training institute.
The author is highly critical of the process for establishing the National Dialogue Commission because it resulted from Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's "exclusionist approach." He concludes "a satisfactory National Dialogue is highly unlikely while war is raging and major opposition leaders are sidelined or in jail."
African Arguments posted on 8 March 2022 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's National Dialogue Commission: Where Are the Women?" by Endegena Ashenafi, Oxfam Ethiopia, and Elizabeth Ashamu Deng, Oxfam Pan-Africa.
In December 2021, Ethiopia agreed to establish a National Dialogue Commission to oversee "broad-based inclusive public dialogue that engenders national consensus." The final list of 11 commissioners includes 3 women. The authors argue this is not adequate.
The International Crisis Group published on 25 February 2022 an analysis titled "South Sudan's Splintered Opposition: Preventing More Conflict."
President Salva Kiir reached deals in January with major opposition commanders who broke away from his main rival Vice President Riek Machar. They open space for resolving differences over the city of Malakal but increase odds of wider infighting among opposition ex-comrades.
By carving out separate agreements with dissident opposition commanders, South Sudan is careening toward more crisis. Kiir has weakened Machar, but in so doing he also ensured that the peace process would continue to flounder.
