Ethiopia Weekly Update (17 December 2024)
Last updated: 08/08/2024
Central Ethiopia region was established on 19 August 2023 in Welkite town, Gurage zone. It was previously part of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples region (SNNPR). SNNPR consisted of 56 ethnic groups that were considered indigenous1Beza Dessalegn and Nigussie Afesha, ‘The Quest for Identity and Self-Determination in the SNNP Region of Ethiopia,’ Mizan Law Review, September 2019 (for more, see the EPO SNNPR page). Several ethnic groups in SNNPR, such as Sidama, Wolayta, Kefa, Hadiya, Gedio, and Gurage, expressed their interest in having their own regional administrations for decades. Accordingly, between 2019 and 2023, the region was split into four separate regions – Sidama region, South West Ethiopia Peoples region, Central Ethiopia region, and South Ethiopia region.
Central Ethiopia region comprises Gurage, Silte, Kambata Tambaro, Halaba, Hadiya zones, and Yem Special woreda. The regional council has decided that the administrative centers of all these zones will also serve as the regional administrative centers. The seat of the regional government is located in Hosana town, which is in Hadiya zone, while the seat of the regional council is in Welkite town, which is in Gurage zone. Additionally, the Central Ethiopia Regional Council has decided to elevate Yem Special woreda to the status of a zone, and divided Gurage zone into three administration levels. East Gurage woreda has been designated as a separate zone, and Kebena and Mareko woredas have been designated as special woredas. The council has also voted for Tembaro woreda in Kembata zone to be a special woreda.2Wazema Radio, ‘Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples region no loner exists,’ 19 August 2023 Areas with special woreda status are administered under the regional administration, while woreda administrations fall under the zone administration.
In August 2022, the government announced its intention to establish two new regions in SNNPR through a referendum.3Samson Berhane, ‘A renewed push for statehood raises more questions than answers,’ The Reporter Ethiopia, 6 August 2022 The proposal outlined that one region would encompass six zones and five special woredas — Wolayta, Gedio, Gamo, Gofa, South Omo, and Konso zones, along with Amaro, Basketo, Burji, Derashe, and Ale Special woredas. According to the proposal, the second region would then consist of five zones and one special woreda – Hadiya, Kembata, Halaba, Gurage, and Silte zones, and Yem Special woreda (for more information, see the EPO Monthly: July 2022). With the exception of the Gurage Zone Council, the other zonal and special woreda councils accepted this proposal and submitted their decision to the House of Federation to initiate the referendum.4House of Federation of Ethiopia, ‘Representatives of zones and special woredas in Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples region submitted their request and decision to be administered under two regions,’ 4 August 2022
The Gurage Zone Council — consisting of 16 woredas and eight town administrations — rejected the proposal to establish a region with other zones through a majority vote. The council made this decision based on the belief that the establishment of the new region would deny Gurage zone’s constitutional self-administration request,5Kulle Kursha ‘EIEP: A special statehood request in Ethiopia’s southwest,’ Ethiopia Insight, 6 August 2021; DW Amharic, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples region is going to be split into two cluster regions,’ 1 August 2022 as Gurage zone wanted to establish its own regional administration, and not together with other zones or special woredas. However, two days later, on 7 August 2022, four woreda councils and one town council within Gurage zone — Kebena, Meskan, Mareko, and East Meskan woredas, and Butajira town — held a meeting and voted against the zone council’s decision. They expressed support for the establishment of a region with other zones and special woredas of SNNPR.6Hamid Awol, ‘Four woredas and one town in Gurage zone approved the organization of the “cluster” regions in their councils,’ Ethiopia Insider, 13 August 2022 This disagreement is likely because these areas are dominated by non-Gurage ethnic groups that do not want to establish a separate region under Gurage zone. This caused tension in the zone, leading to various stay-at-home strikes, particularly in Welkite town.7DW Amharic, ‘Stay-at-home strike in Welkite and other towns in Gurage zone,’ 6 February 2023; Borkena, ‘Strike for statehood in the Gurage part of SNNPR,’ 10 August 2022; Ethiopia Insider, ‘A second round of stay-at-home strike was held in Welkite town in Gurage zone,’ 25 August 2022; Ethiopia Insider, ‘A third round of stay-at-home strike was held in Welkite town in Gurage zone,’ 18 November 2022 At least 50 people were arrested on allegations of leading the strikes and advocating for self-administration.8Al-Ain News Amharic, ‘Lawyers stated that the arrest was made in connection with the Gurage region question,’ 25 March 2023 As a result of the instability, several officials were also removed from their positions,9Shewangizaw Wegayew and Tamirat Dinsa, ‘The newly established ‘Central Ethiopia region,’’ DW Amharic, 3 December 2022 and a command post consisting of regional and federal security forces has been administering the zone since then.10Yonatan Zebdios, ‘It was decided that Gurage zone will be administered by a command post,’ VOA Amharic, 25 November 2022; Ethiopian Reporter, ‘Gurage zone, where question of regional structure was raised, to be administered by a command post,’ 27 November 2022
The new arrangement has also raised another round of tensions between Meskan and Mareko people and Kebena and Gurage people due to border disputes. On 25 September 2023, inter-communal clashes between Mareko and Meskan ethnic groups erupted in the disputed kebeles in Meskan woreda, forcing over 2,000 people to flee. These clashes lasted for a few days (for more, see the EPO Weekly: 30 September-6 October 2023). Similarly, on 13 October 2023, clashes erupted between Gurage and Kebena ethnic rioters in Welkite town in relation to a boundary dispute between Kebena Special woreda and Welkite town (for more, see the EPO Weekly: 7-13 October 2023). Sporadic clashes were common between these communities, especially between Meskan and Mareko ethnic groups (see map below; for more on recent rounds of conflict between these communities, see the EPO Weekly: 1-7 July 2023, EPO Weekly: 15-21 July 2023, and the EPO Weekly: 22-28 July 2023).
Unlike the other newly established regions since 2018, Central Ethiopia region was not established through a referendum, as the Gurage Zone Council voted against the establishment of a region with other zones. However, after six zones and five special woredas in SNNPR — Wolayta, Gedio, Gamo, Gofa, South Omo, and Konso zones, as well as Amaro, Basketo, Burji, Derashe, and Ale Special woredas — held a referendum in February and June 2022 and decided to establish South Ethiopia Peoples region,11National Election Board of Ethiopia, ‘Announcement of Referendum results conducted by the Ethiopian National Election Board in six zones (Gamo, Wolayta, Gofa, Gedeo, Konso, and South Omo zones) and in five special woredas (Burji, Amaro, Derashe, Basketo, and Ale) in SNNPR,’ 18 February 2023 the remaining zones and special woreda of SNNPR – Hadiya, Kembata, Halaba, Gurage, and Silte zones, and Yem Special woreda – decided to dissolve SNNPR and opted to establish Central Ethiopia region (for more information, see the EPO South Ethiopia region page).
