We also encourage civil society, residents of Hawassa and more human rights organizations to send a formal complaint to NEBE on the disputed credibility of the Sidama referendum in Hawassa, which could reignite further violence if done improperly. The illegal operation to handout fake Hawassa IDs to non-residents is allegedly done systematically by enticing and moving Sidama youth from rural parts of Sidama zone toward Hawassa city, according to witnesses. WCHR has documented the demographic engineering tactics by the local Sidama zone authorities into Hawassa city, as evidenced by comparing the Hawasa wereda 1994 Census to the 2007 Census. However, WCHR is also concerned with the involvement of corrupt Wolayta zone officials in pushing for Wolayta statehood in order to change their corrupt image. Wolayta residents know the corrupt SEPDM local officials who stole budget money from their own people.

Source: Ethiopian News October 02, 2019 13:52 UTC