Over 98% of the people in the Sidama region of Ethiopia have voted positively in a referendum that will allow Ethiopia to have its tenth regional state.
The National Elections Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) announced that out of 2,280,147 registered voters, the number of people who voted YES were 2,277,063, representing 98.52 per cent while the remaining 1.48 per cent voted NO. The turnout for the poll was 99.86 per cent, the NEBE added.
Why This Matters
The referendum brings an end to an age-long battle for state autonomy. The Sidama people– who number more than 3 million– have agitated for their independence from the diverse Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR). The diverse SNNPR is one of Ethiopia’s nine ethnic-based regional states and is home to over 40 ethnic groups which are overseen by the central government in Addis Ababa.
Speaking to Reuters after the results were announced, Unani Fikro, a member of a Sidama activist group, with tears rolling down her cheeks, said: “I have friends who died, were imprisoned and exiled for this cause, for me, it’s the day of resurrection.”
More Regions May ask for a Referendum
This new referendum can embolden other groups south of the country who have plans for self-determination to make similar demands like Sidama as the constitution requires the government to organise a referendum for any ethnic group that wants to form a new entity.
More than a dozen other ethnic groups are either considering or already campaigning for region status. It is important to note that there are fears that these agitations can lead to violence across Ethiopia if they do not receive autonomy.
What’s In It For Sidama?
Ethiopia is currently partitioned into nine semi-autonomous regional states –with the Sidama vote making it ten. In this new self-governing region, Sidama will control local taxes, education, security and laws. The people also want the multi-ethnic area of Hawassa, 275 km (170 miles) from Addis Ababa, to be their capital.
On the flip side, ethnic minorities in the region have their hesitations. Tsion, a Hawassa resident who spoke with Reuters said: “I’m afraid that the Sidama will come and hurt us…they will take all the jobs and even if you file a complaint it will go unheard as you will be complaining to one of them.”
