Wolayta Conflict - Ethiopia Peace Observatory

After political space opened in 2018 and amidst increasing uncertainty about future political opportunities, a host of ethnic groups in Ethiopia’s southern region launched bids for greater political autonomy by requesting to establish their own region or zonal administrative levels. Under constitutional rules made by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, such bids are legally possible.

Wolayta politicians’ desire to create their own region intensified when the neighboring Sidama people acquired a confirmed date for a referendum to form their own regional state in 2019. On 19 December 2018, Wolayta zone council unanimously voted for a regional state and submitted its decision to the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Regional (SNNPR) Council. The SNNPR council did not answer this request for regional statehood by Wolayta officials, and on 17 May 2019, a massive demonstration was held in the capital city, Soddo, and Wolayta zone representatives boycotted the 10-day central committee meeting of the Southern Ethiopian People´s Democratic Movement, which is the ruling party in the region, in July 2019.¹ After 26 people, including leaders of the Wolayta zone and the opposition Wolayta People’s Democratic Front, were arrested while they were attending a meeting on Wolayta request to be identified as a region on 10 August 2020, violent demonstrations erupted in Boditi and Gununo towns of Welayta zone leading to the deaths of 21 people by security forces.²

After the government decided to establish two cluster regions in July 2022, a referendum was held in Wolayta zone, five other zones, and four special woredas on 6 February 2023.³ According to the new proposed arrangement, the first cluster region will consist of six zones and five special woredas – Wolayta, Gedio, Gamo, Gofa, South Omo, and Konso zones, as well as Amaro, Basketo, Burji, Derashe, and Ale special woredas. The second cluster region will consist of five zones and one special woreda – Hadiya, Kembata, Halaba, Gurage, and Silte zones, and Yem special woreda (for more, see EPO Monthly: July 2022). The referendum outcome in Wolayta zone was canceled on 1 March by the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) due to various vote registration and election irregularities.⁴ Another round of referendum voting was held on 19 June 2023.⁵ Though some irregularities were reported during the second round of referendum, NEBE released the final outcome of the vote which the majority decided to establish the 12th region of the country.⁶

Recent Developments

On 19 June 2023, a second round of referendum was held to decide whether to establish a new region together with Gedio, Gamo, Gofa, South Omo, and Konso zones, as well as Amaro, Basketo, Burji, Derashe, and Ale special woredas.
Around the week of 12 April 2023, Ethiopian Federal Police announced that it arrested 92 people suspected of rigging the results of the Wolayta zone regional referendum held on 6 February.
On 6 February 2023, a referendum was held to decide whether to establish a new region together with Gedio, Gamo, Gofa, South Omo, and Konso zones, as well as Amaro, Basketo, Burji, Derashe, and Ale special woredas.