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Press Statement by the Sidama National Liberation Front (SNLF)

May 10 2020

The House of Federation and the Federal Ministry of Finance strongly advised the current Sidama Administration and the Southern Regional State (SNNPR) on Friday 30 April 2012 EC to formalize the Sidama Regional State before Friday, 28 May 2012 EC.

This new deadline to establish the Sidama National Regional State (SNRS) is set simply because the deadline to submit the country's budget for the Fiscal Year 2013 EC to parliament by the Ministry of Finance is the end of May 2012 EC. Thus, the end of May 2012 EC has now become a New Deadline to Establish the Sidama National Regional State.

Since the Federal Ministry of Finance will submit the country's budget for the 2013 Ethiopian Fiscal Year to parliament at the end of May 2012 EC, the new Sidama National Regional State must be formally established before 28 May 2012 EC to be able to receive Federal Government subsidy allocations for the 2013 Fiscal Year. Basically, this should have happened in the past 6 months that has failed to this date simply because the current administrators are inadequate and ill-intentioned. It is also to be recalled that the referendum was conducted nearly 6 months ago on 20 November 2019.

The indicated advice was communicated bilaterally to the Sidama’s current administrator by both the House of Federation and the Ministry of Finance. However, the Sidama administrator gave a statement on Saturday 1 May 2012 EC contradicting the deadline advised by the House of Federation and the Federal Ministry of Finance. According to the Sidama administrator, the deadline to establish the SNRS was proposed to be 1 July 2012 EC; one month after the 2013 budget will have been approved. His statement will be dereliction of his duty and an unconstitutional move to derail the establishment of the Sidama National Regional State.

The SNLF unequivocally denounces Mr Desta Ledamo's statement proposing two months (July 1 2012 EC) as a deadline to establish the Sidama National Regional State. We are aware that, he was personally ordered by the House of Federation and the Minister of Finance to submit a letter from the SNNPRS formalizing the Sidama National Regional State before 28 May 2012 EC. Therefore, the Sidama administration cannot ignore this crucial deadline as the Sidama nation can’t afford losing its hard earned victory due to their recklessness and irresponsibility.

Furthermore, the SNNPRS is also hereby strongly advised to write a letter of establishing the Sidama National Regional State within two weeks from today to provide adequate time to transmit the official letters to the House of Federation and the Ministry of Finance before the expiration of the deadline on 28 May 2012 EC. By so doing, the SNNPRS council will have discharged its Constitutional mandate and its own bylaw, the Motion. 

Finally, therefore, we strongly advise the Sidama people to remain extra vigilant during this difficult time as its administrators attempt to deny the nation of its hard-earned rights to a regional self-rule. Evidently, the Sidama National Regional State has a deadline, and the deadline is 28 May 2012 EC which must be respected without fail. All the stakeholders should work together to ensure that the self-rule for which our nation has paid ultimate sacrifices for the last 130 years materializes on or before 28 May 2012 EC. The entire stakeholders must also ensure that the outcome of the referendum by 2.3 million Sidama people in which a convincing 98.52 % endorsed self-rule materializes on or before Friday 28 May 2012 EC.

Victory to the Sidama nation!!

Victory to all oppressed nations in Ethiopia!!

May 10, 2020

Issued by the Sidama National Liberation Front (SNLF)