At least 25 people have died in an outbreak of separatist-fuelled violence in southern Ethiopia
was supposed to be a day of celebration for the Sidama. Ethiopia’s fifth-biggest ethnic group was to vote on statehood in a referendum. Some members anticipated the moment by hoisting Sidama flags over local-government buildings in the territory that would make up their semi-autonomous state. In Hawassa they began erecting billboards welcoming visitors to their new capital. “Our officials told us, you can celebrate,” says Gosaye, a Sidama activist.
In the end there were no festivities. Rather than hold the promised referendum, the central government said it would take place within five months. Sidama officials agreed to the delay and told their supporters to be patient. But protesters burned vehicles, looted businesses and attacked government buildings. Angry mobs set upon members of other ethnic groups. The army was deployed and the internet switched off. At least 25 people were killed in clashes, most by the security forces .
First came the Sidama, who number around 5m and are the biggest group in the state called the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region . They have longed chafed at their inclusion in the, a messy hotch-potch of more than 45 different ethnic groups. Others are also unhappy with the set-up. Groups that live far from Hawassa, the state capital, have less say than those, such as the Sidama, that dominate the centre.
Balkanisation along ethnic lines is dangerous. Last year intercommunal fighting forced almost 3m people from their homes. Much of the violence occurred in the country’s densely populated south. A proliferation of new states equipped with their own security forces may be a recipe for further bloodshed if, as seems likely, there are territorial disputes. Minority groups fear being persecuted. States, which can write their own constitutions, have often failed to protect them.
Abiy has done little to calm nerves. For months his government dithered instead of organising the referendum for the Sidama. Then he threatened to use force if the group declared independence unilaterally. Activists say they do not trust the government to keep its new promise of a referendum. “It’s playing tricks,” says Gosaye. Meanwhile the Welayta, the second-largest ethnic group in the, have taken to the streets demanding their own vote on statehood.
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