A potentially bloody confrontation between Ethiopia's federal government an...
HAWASSA/ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - A potentially bloody confrontation between Ethiopia’s federal government and a minority community was averted on Thursday when a political party postponed plans to set up a new region for the Sidama people in defiance of central authorities in Addis Ababa.
This would have been an addition to Ethiopia’s existing nine ethnic-based regional states, which are overseen by the federal government but have autonomy over revenues and security forces. Ethiopia’s 100 million citizens come from dozens of ethnic groups with competing claims to land, resources and influence.
“Now the most important thing is peace for our people,” Million Tumato, president of the Sidama Liberation Movement, told Reuters. “Still the five months timeline is not specific as it doesn’t indicate when the referendum will take place.” There is now a risk that violence escalates as youthful activists react angrily to Thursday’s events and attempt to push through self-declaration of Sidama region rather than wait for a belated referendum, he added.
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