August 6, 2019 (omosaanews) — The current insecurity and conflicts in Sidama zone of the Southern Ethiopian region has significantly affected investment, business, and tourism in the regional capital city of Hawassa. At the heart of the conflict is the quest for statehood by the Sidama ethnic groups, who have demanded a referendum to become an autonomous region. The conflict intensified over the last few weeks after some groups tried to declare Sidama as a region, claiming that the government failed to hold a referendum on a timeline stipulated in the constitution.
