Ethiopia Set to Carve Out an 11th State After Autonomy Vote

Ethiopians in the south of the country have voted almost unanimously to have their own state, part of a push for increased autonomy that’s intensified since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office in 2018.

South West will become Ethiopia’s 11th state after 1.26 million Ethiopians in six zones and one locality took part in a Sept. 30 referendum. About 98% of them voted in favor of having their own regional constitution and council, according to Wubshet Ayele, vice chair of the National Election Board of Ethiopia.