Hawassa (Ethiopia) (AFP) – Ethiopia’s Sidama people have voted overwhelmingly for a new federal region, with 98 percent choosing autonomous rule, the electoral board said Saturday.
The result means a major shakeup in Ethiopia, with analysts saying it could inspire other groups to push for autonomy to redraw boundaries in Africa’s second most populous country, with more than 100 million people.
The official results were released by Wubshet Ayele, deputy head of the National Electoral Board, in the regional capital Hawassa, roughly 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Addis Ababa.
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“The November 20 polls was peaceful and didn’t have major logistical challenges, although in some places there were larger than projected queues of voters,” Ayele said.
