The head of a political party representing some of Ethiopia’s ethnic Sidama people said on Thursday it would postpone plans to declare a new region in defiance of the federal government and would accept the offer of a referendum in five months’ time.
“Now the most important thing is peace for our people,” Million Tumato, president of the Sidama Liberation Movement Party, told Reuters. “Still the five months timeline is not specific as it doesn’t indicate when the referendum will take place.”
The declaration would have served as a gauge of whether Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed can maintain his commitment to peaceful political reforms in the face of increasing demands from competing ethno-nationalist groups.
Ethiopia has seen an explosion of violence since Abiy began his reforms, which have included ending bans on political parties, releasing political prisoners and welcoming home rebel groups.
The federal system in Africa’s second-most populous nation is designed to allow larger ethnic groups a degree of autonomy.
But smaller groups such as the Sidama, who make up about 5% of Ethiopia’s 105 million people, say they have been sidelined. At least eight other ethnic groups are mounting similar campaigns.
Hawassa city is the capital of the multi-ethnic southern nations region, but some Sidama – who make up the largest group within the region – claim it as the capital of their own new region.
