Ethiopia’s 100 million citizens come from dozens of ethnic groups with competing claims to land, resources and influence. Militias formed by ethnic groups are proliferating across Ethiopia, threatening sweeping political and economic reforms that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed kickstarted after he took power in the Horn of Africa country in April 2018. Local leaders are now taking advantage of the new freedoms to build ethnic power bases. Large ethnic groups that dominate in many regions are demanding more territory and resources. While Ethiopia’s Constitution guarantees all ethnic groups the right to a referendum on self-determination, the government has long forbidden such votes.

Source: Ethiopian News June 26, 2019 14:03 UTC