Some of Amhara and Oromia’s political elite have rejected the dialogue process and are in armed conflict with the government. The Tigrayan elite’s position so far is unclear – and the National Dialogue Commission has yet to select participants and agenda items from the region. This can lead to ‘ethnic outbidding’ – when ethnic political groups adopt a radical position to outbid their opponents in order to garner support from their ethnic base. A nationwide ceasefire would help legitimise the national dialogue and address the political quagmireThe National Dialogue Commission should pause the dialogue process on the basis of the multipartiality principle. This would help legitimise the national dialogue process and address Ethiopia’s political quagmire.
