Over 500 people arrested in relation to the recent violence in Southern Ethiopia, which led to the death of several dozens of people and destruction of properties of non-Sidama ethnic group.
The military led command post established by the federal government of Ethiopia to government the Southern region of Ethiopia following the deadly violence told the state broadcaster – ETV. The violence was caused on the day set as a deadline by the Sidama youth called Ejetto to declare the Sidama zone as a new region of Ethiopia without conducting referendum and getting approval from the federal government.
A week earlier before the incident the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has indicated that it will manage the referendum in the coming few months and demanded certain preconditions to be fulfilled by the Southern region of Ethiopia. The preconditions involve the fate of the current capital of the Southern region, Hawassa, and the safety of non-Sidama ethnic group people living in Sidama zone as the city is being claimed to belong to Sidama ethnic group.