The Chamber has announced the formation of the “Southern Ethiopian Region,” comprising six zones and five districts.
However, specific details regarding the timeline and terms of this reorganization were not provided. In a previous referendum held on February 6, the residents of the respective areas had overwhelmingly voted in favor of the regrouping. Unfortunately, the results were invalidated due to irregularities in the Wilayat zone. Consequently, a new ballot was conducted on June 19, resulting in an overwhelming majority favoring integration into the new region.
The current Ethiopian Constitution, established in 1995 following the downfall of the military-Marxist Derge regime, originally divided Ethiopia into nine regional states based on ethnolinguistic criteria. These regions were granted significant powers within a federal system. However, the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR) stood out as it encompassed numerous minority groups among the country’s approximately 80 ethnicities. The SNNPR has experienced tensions and violence in recent years.
