Zegabi

Ethiopia’s Administrative Boundaries and Identity Issues Commission unveiled a new federal structure for Ethiopia, suggesting 21 regional states.

Picture displaying the new administrative regional states is trending on social media following the commission’s preliminary report and recommendations it made to the government.

The commission recommended areas such as Welkait and Humera, Wello, Metekel, Wellega, Jimma and Illibabur, Shewa and Walayita to be self-governing regional states.

The commission also recommended two national and five working languages. According to the commission, language, population size, settlement, culture and economic issues were considered as basis to form the new regional structures.

According to the commission’s proposal, Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa cities are to be part of the new Shewa and Somali regional states respectively.

The country has already got the 11th Regional State  two months ago after three zones in the south western part of the country emerged as the Southern Region.

Ethiopia has an ethnic-based federal state upon the endorsement in 1994 of a federal constitution that gives ethnic groups the right to self-administrations up to secession.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs Redwan Hussien said the government does not have an intention to pursue an all out military operation in Tigray in chasing the leaders of TPLF  in every villages and towns.

Speaking to resident diplomats in Addis Ababa, Hussien said the government  will, however, make sure that the TPLF will not be able to wage an attack anymore.

The government of Ethiopia also maintains its rights to ensure the territorial integrity of the country and it will not foreclose its prerogative rights to station the federal groups in all parts of the country, including Tigray, the state minister said.