This archive report was first published on 18 November 2019.
On November 20, 2019, Ethiopia's Sidama ethnic group was set to vote on forming a breakaway regional state, a milestone that could have significant implications for the country's fragile stability.
The referendum, which was expected to pass, would see the Sidama people gain autonomy from the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, a move that has been years in the making.
However, the process has come at a bitter price, with dozens killed and injured in days of unrest in July. Cherinet Deguye, a resident of Hawassa, the regional capital, said the violence would be worth it if the referendum passes and the Sidama gain a state of their own.
"The process leading to the referendum has come with a bitter price with many of our people killed and injured," Cherinet told AFP. "But there is a great deal of excitement and the atmosphere is currently peaceful."
The referendum touches on the issue of autonomy, a key aspect of Ethiopia's federal system designed to provide widespread ethnic self-rule in a diverse country of over 100 million people.
At present, Ethiopia is partitioned into nine semi-autonomous regional states, and the constitution requires the government to organize a referendum for any ethnic group that wants to form a new entity.
Even if the referendum proceeds smoothly and the result is accepted, it could embolden other groups with similar goals, potentially inflaming broader ethnic tensions.
At least 10 other groups have submitted statehood bids in the south, and William Davison, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, said the Sidama referendum "does not fit well" with key aspects of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's agenda.
Abiy has spent recent months trying to put a damper on other statehood bids, pleading for patience in meetings with leaders of ethnic groups trying to follow the Sidama example.
