Ethiopia’s National Dialogue Drafting Committee has officially presented its synthesized recommendations on state-building, proposing five federal working languages and the retention of current national symbols. The draft document consolidates feedback from roughly 4,000 delegates who were organized across eight distinct consultation groups. A dedicated 120-member drafting team selected from all groups reviewed inputs from each 500-person cluster to eliminate redundancies, harmonize overlapping ideas, and construct a unified record of the discussions.
On the sensitive topic of language policy, delegates tackled whether Ethiopia should designate a single national language, considering proposals for Amharic or Afan Oromo. The draft minutes reveal a general consensus that a national language is not required under current circumstances, though participants left open the possibility of establishing one in the future if conditions demand it.
Regarding federal administration, participants broadly supported expanding the current framework to establish five primary working languages: Amharic, Afan Oromo, Tigrinya, Afar, and Somali. This proposal aims to make federal operations more accessible across major linguistic communities throughout the country.
To ensure broader inclusivity over time, the draft also outlines a secondary framework for additional regional languages. Languages such as Wolaytta, Sidama, Gurage, Kambaata, Agaw, Kefficho, and Gamo could potentially be adopted as federal working languages in the future, subject to specific criteria including population size and administrative readiness.
Discussions surrounding the national flag resulted in a dual proposal to maintain the current flag in the short term while reviewing the emblem later. Delegates had previously debated alternative symbols—including the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, the Battle of Adwa, or a dove—leading to a recommendation that the public should ultimately decide on an inclusive replacement.
On national and regional state anthems, the consultation groups recommended preserving Ethiopia’s national anthem in its current form. For regional state anthems, delegates proposed maintaining them while advising local authorities to revise any content deemed contentious or restrictive to ensure they align constructively with broader national unity.
The synthesized document, which covers state-building alongside seven other major thematic areas, is undergoing a final review by participants. The finalized feedback will be presented to the full assembly of 4,000 delegates on Friday to establish the official record of the consultation process.