Ethiopia: Ethiopia's National Dialogue Could Give Transitional Justice New Momentum

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying an Institute for Security Studies analysis dated 20 July 2026, reported that Ethiopia’s National Dialogue Commission began long-awaited plenary deliberations on 15 July, with transitional justice among the issues on the agenda. The talks are expected to run for three weeks before the commission issues recommendations. The analysis argues that a year-long pause in Ethiopia’s transitional justice process, while awaiting the dialogue, should now translate into stronger political support and wider ownership.

According to the ISS article, Ethiopia’s transitional justice agenda predates the National Dialogue. It grew out of the political transition that began in 2018, gained renewed momentum after the 2022 Pretoria Cessation of Hostilities Agreement that ended the Tigray war, and was formalized through a Transitional Justice Policy adopted in 2024. Draft legal frameworks reportedly cover criminal accountability, truth-seeking, reparations and vetting.

The analysis cautions that transitional justice should not be presented as a new product of the dialogue, because that could understate years of legal and institutional work. However, it says the dialogue could refresh public legitimacy, especially as earlier consultations are now several years old and Ethiopia’s political environment has changed. It also notes criticism of the dialogue’s inclusiveness and urges authorities to keep engaging groups not represented in the process.

ISS further argues that the dialogue could help establish a broader national acknowledgement of harms suffered across regions, communities and political periods, while leaving legal responsibility to accountability institutions. It recommends a larger role for Parliament alongside the Justice Ministry, including oversight, coordination and a possible dedicated transitional justice committee, to make implementation a nationally owned process rather than only an executive-led initiative.