Residents in Wolkite city, Gurage zone stage protest, boycott routine activities
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Loading... - Samantha Essal
- 11 Aug 2022
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Residents in Wolkite city, the capital of Gurage zone in Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s (SNNP) regional state, staged protests today by boycotting routine activities including civil service works and business activities in opposition against the ongoing cluster restructuring new regional states in SNNP.
Mohammed Abrar of the Gurage People Regional Quest Peaceful Struggle Committee, told Addis Standard that today’s boycott was centered in Wolkite alone, but it may expand to other woreda towns. Mohammed added that various groups, including the one he is a member, called for the boycott together. A group of youth also staged protests in parts of the city chanting slogans saying “no to cluster.”
This follows in the heels of the submission on 04 August by Kiflu Wanna, deputy speaker of the SNNP regional state Council, to the House of Federation (HoF) a cluster of ten zones and six woredas in the region requesting to be restructured in two additional regional states out of the existing SNNP region. The respective Councils of zones and Special Woredas approved the request over the weekend of 31 July.
The new restructuring will merge a total of 16 zones and special woredas in SNNP region into two additional regional states. Accordingly, the six zones: Gamo, Gedeo, Gofa, Konso, South Omo, and Wolayta zones, as well as the five Special Woredas: Ale, Amaro, Burji, Basketo, Derashe Special Woredas will form one regional state after the HoF approved the request. Similarly, four zones: Hadiya, Halaba, Kembata Tembaro and Silte zones, and Yem Special Woreda will be organized in one regional state. Kiflu has asked the HoF to respond to the requests “immediately based on the constitution.” Read More...
