2023 South Ethiopia Region referendum

On 6 February 2023 a referendum was held in the Wolayita, Gamo, Gofa, South Omo, Gedeo, and Konso Zones, as well as the Dirashe, Amaro, Burji, Ale, and Basketo special woredas of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNP) of Ethiopia, on whether the included areas should leave SNNP and form their own Region.

The referendum was tentatively approved, although Wolayita Zone had to rerun voting after it was found that irregularities were present.

The approval of the new region in the other zones and woredas was conveyed to the national House of Federation by the SNNP government.

The ascension of prime minister Abiy Ahmed in 2018, along with his promises for reforms, reignited demands for autonomy by some ethnic groups in SNNP.

A similar referendum in 2021 saw 5 zones and 1 special woreda leave the SNNP and form the new South West Region.

[11] Official approval of the referendum by the House of Federation for the proposal given by from 6 zones and 5 special woredas occurred on 18 August.

Specifically, this was for the Wolayita, Gamo, Gofa, South Omo, Gedeo, and Konso Zones, as well as the Dirashe, Amaro, Burji, Ale, and Basketo special woredas.

Map of Ethiopia highlighting the SNNP
The South Ethiopia Region (in purple) following the 2023 referendum and secession, note the territory that split off following the 2019 Sidama Region referendum and the 2021 South West Region referendum (in pink and lighter purple), as well as the Central region that did not have a referendum and did not secede, hence being somewhat of a successor to the former big region.