Wolayata statehood question is unstoppable. Sidama zone has already approved the question. Next step before national election board organize a referendum like in the case of Sidama is for the regional state council to pass decision
borkena
December 13, 2019
The question of ethnic-based statehood took a center stage in what is now Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region for some for over a year, at least.
Some political pundits tend to see rising ethnic-based statehood in the region as a work of radical ethnic Oromo nationalists and the objective behind is, according to these analysts, to break apart the entire region in a way to make them an easy targets for Oromization project.
That goals behind the actions of ethnic Oromo nationalists, those including government position, may be arguable. What is clear is that have championed the breaking up of Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region and demonstrated support as seen in the case of ethnic Sidama statehood.
On November 23, National Election Board of Ethiopia disclosed the result of the referendum for ethnic Sidama statehood which was administered on November 20. According to the board, more than 98 percent voted for ethnic Sidama statehood.
Now, ethnic Wolayta zone which is part of the region is pushing for similar status. Activists for the cause claim that there is no power that can reverse Wolayta zone’s move towards a statehood status. The question to break away is constitutional and several other ethnic groups in the region are vying for statehood. What is the fate of the region if all these question are honored as in the case of Sidama is very clear – there will no longer be Southern region which was the only Ethiopian region which was not organized on the basis of ethnicity in the sense that more than 50 ethnic groups that constituted it unlike the rest of regional states.
Video below features Wolayata activists making a case for ethnic Wolayta state.
Video : embedded from Andafta media YouTube channel
Cover photo : screenshot from video
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