Borkena News Desk
TORONTO, Canada — Commissioner Mohammud Dirir, a former Ethiopian ambassador to Egypt and Zimbabwe under the EPRDF administration, announced on Monday that a “key component of the National Dialogue is underway.”
In a televised address on state media, Dirir outlined the structure of the 4,000 delegates participating in the process. The participants are divided into eight major groups of 500 members each, which are further subdivided into ten smaller units of 50 members. Additionally, 160 consultants with strong academic and professional backgrounds, alongside 256 minute-takers, have been deployed to support the process.
The dialogue officially launched on July 15 at the convention center in Addis Ababa, drawing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, senior government officials, and members of the diplomatic corps.
According to the commissioner, delegates spent the days between July 15 and July 20 familiarizing themselves with one another and preparing for discussions.
State media footage indicates that the eight core agenda items—detailed in previous Borkena coverage—were assigned individually to the eight major groups. However, the criteria used to distribute these agendas remain unspecified, fueling speculation that the process could prove controversial.
The active dialogue phase commenced on Monday, featuring initial idea exchanges among working group members concerning their assigned topics.
Meanwhile, a Borkena reporter in Addis Ababa revealed on Monday that an anonymous commissioner claimed the “government has hijacked the process.” Social media reports further allege that ruling party cadres are dominating the discussions, particularly regarding contentious issues like the administrative status of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, as well as constitutional amendments. During a parliamentary appearance roughly two weeks ago, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated that he does not expect existing regional arrangements to change.
In response to circulating rumors, the National Dialogue Commission issued a statement on Sunday urging Ethiopians to shield themselves from false information spreading online.
Observers also noted that access to the dialogue proceedings has been restricted exclusively to government and affiliated media outlets in the capital.
Video: embedded from Fana TV YouTube channel
Cover photo: Screenshot from the video
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