Ethiopian Minority Group Votes For Autonomy

Boys of the Sidama ethnicity wave flags. (Wikimedia Commons)

The Sidama people of Ethiopia, an ethnic group representing four percent of the country’s population, voted to form a new federal region on November 23, with 98 percent choosing autonomous rule with 99.7-percent turnout, according to the country's electoral board. Wubshet Ayele, the deputy head of the National Electoral Board, released the official results on November 23 in the regional capital, Hawassa.

The Ethiopian Constitution, written in 1984, gives the more than 80 ethnic groups across the country the right to seek autonomy. However, the government has only approved the Sidama’s request for a referendum following the results of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s political reform agenda. As a result of this vote, the Sidama have now formed the tenth state in Ethiopia and have control over their own taxes, education, security, and certain legislation.

Ethiopia used to be one of the most oppressive states on the continent, especially toward its ethnic minorities. In 2018, the UN and other monitoring groups reported that ethnic violence in Ethiopia forced more than two million people out of their homes and killed hundreds. However, Ahmed’s political reforms have begun to loosen restrictions on ethnic minorities, opening opportunities like the referendum. 

Leading up to the vote, many feared  election-day violence given the high tension surrounding the issue. Amnesty International monitored the situation closely, calling on Ethiopian authorities to "take all appropriate measures to ensure a peaceful vote, including preventing excessive use of force by the security forces." However, the election was mostly peaceful. Authorities took precautions to control celebrations upon the announcement of the preliminary results. Public celebration was prohibited until the official and final announcements, but many drivers sung and played music in their cars, according to Reuters. 

This referendum might also present the risk of increased future ethnic turmoil, as the dozens of other ethnic groups are now empowered to push for their own referendums. Whether the administration will continue its program of political liberalization following the Sidama referendum is unclear. On the other hand, the vote can be seen as a victory for Ethiopia’s constitutional ethnic federal arrangement.