[1][2] In December 2018, the House of Peoples' Representatives (HoPR) voted overwhelmingly in favour of the creation of an Ethiopian Reconciliation Commission.

[4] In February 2019, the HoPR appointed 41 members to the Reconciliation Commission, including Berhanu Nega, Beyene Petros, Derartu Tulu, Goshu Wolde, Hailemariam Desalegn, Yetnebersh Nigussie, Zeresenay Alemseged and other religious figures, former politicians, intellectuals and philanthropists.

[5] The aim of the ERC, defined in Article 5 of Proclamation 1102/2018, is to "maintain peace[,] justice, national unity and consensus and also Reconciliation among Ethiopian Peoples.

"[4] The powers and duties of the ERC defined in Article 6 of the Proclamation include communication with varying social groups, identifying the origins of conflicts and human rights violations, considering both the victims' and offenders' points of view, the power to subpoena any document except for national security reasons, to visit any institution and obtain copies of documents found there, to summon any individual or group to give testimony, to get support from any federal or regional police force "depending on the situation", to notify the public and government agencies of the ERC's conclusions, and to "make Reconciliation among peoples to narrow the difference created and to create consensus.

In the context of the increasing tension between the federal and Tigrayan governments, the ERC stated that it was trying to mediate, but that pre-conditions set by both sides had blocked progress.