Some of Amhara and Oromia’s political elite have rejected the dialogue process and are in armed conflict with the government. 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. The 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. Ethiopia’s competing political elites need to set aside factionalism and ethnic rivalry in favour of a negotiated political settlement through dialogue.
