A legal case challenging the election of the Ethiopian Sectoral Associations Council’s leadership has been withdrawn following an agreement with the Ministry of Industry to pave the way for a new election, according to the plaintiffs.
The lawsuit, involving Jamal Ahmed, chief executive officer of MIDROC Investment Group, and prominent businessman Belayneh Kinde, emerged amid growing concerns over governance and institutional functioning. The two were elected president and vice president of the council, respectively, alongside 10 new board members during a contested election held in March 2026. Although that election was supervised by the Ministry of Industry, procedural disagreements quickly escalated into formal litigation.
Abebeyahu Girma, the council’s former vice president and one of the plaintiffs, confirmed to Capital that the plaintiffs fully withdrew the case after constructive discussions with the ministry established a clear path toward a fresh vote. He commended the ministry’s new leadership for taking responsibility to resolve the dispute peacefully and facilitate an agreement between the opposing factions.
The lawsuit, filed with the Fifth Commercial Bench of the Federal First Instance Court’s Commercial and Investment Division, argued that the March election failed to comply with legal and procedural requirements. The plaintiffs sought to annul the meeting and compel a fresh election.
Before proceeding to a full hearing, the matter was referred to the court’s mediation centre under Federal Courts Proclamation No. 1234/2021 and Federal Supreme Court Directive No. 12/2021. The court had scheduled a hearing for November 2, 2026, to review any settlement, but the ministry-facilitated agreement rendered further court proceedings unnecessary.
The move toward a new election follows an internal assessment by senior Ministry of Industry officials, experts, and the legal department, which identified serious administrative shortcomings. Among the primary concerns cited was the failure of the newly elected president and vice president to attend their offices for roughly six months following the vote. The assessment also highlighted a complete breakdown in communication with the secretariat, alongside the suspension of vital planning and performance-review activities.
To resolve the impasse, Under Article 3 of the council’s governing rules, one-third of member councils can request the convening of an extraordinary general assembly. According to Abebayehu, more than half of the constituent councils submitted signed written requests calling for an urgent session.
This extraordinary general assembly, anticipated in the coming days, will provide member associations with an opportunity to elect new leadership through an agreed process and restore normal operations.
