Joint Press Statement by Sidama National Liberation Front (SNLF) and Sidama Human Rights Council (SHRC)
19 July 2026
On 18 July 2026 (Hamle 11, 2018 EC), the Sidama nation commemorated the 7th anniversary of the 11-11-11 massacre of civilians who peacefully demanded the determination of the date for a referendum by the National Election Board of Ethiopia to establish the Sidama Regional State in accordance with Articles 39(1) and 47(2) of the 1995 constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. As he officially vowed to crush Sidama’s quest for regional self-rule, dictator Abiy Ahmed deployed federal and regional security forces who massacred 163 civilians in Hawasssa city and Shabbadino, Daalle, Alata and Hula districts on 18 July 2019. Through the sacrifices of these gallant Sidama civilians and other Sidama heroes and heroines before them, the Sidama nation eventually carried out the referendum on 20 November 2019 and officially established the Sidama National Regional State on 20 June 2020 although the region was rendered a failed state due to Abiy Ahmed’s deliberate policy of political revenge.
This year, the Sidama nation also commemorated the 48th anniversary of the Borricha and Wotara Rassa uprisings against the military (Dergue) regime in 1978. In 1978 the gallant Sidama people led by notable Sidama heroes such as Bittre Gamada, Yetera Koome and Higisso Gaacheno in Borricha and Agana Jobissa in Malga waged armed resistance against the then dictatorial military regime. The armed resistance in Borricha and Malga anchored the armed struggle launched by the Sidama Liberation Movement (SLM) in south eastern Sidama districts of Horooreesa, Bansa and Harbagoona in 1978 which lasted until 1984. The 48th anniversary of the Borricha and Wotara Rassa uprisings relishes the sacrifices made by the gallant SLM freedom fighters in Horooreeesa, Bansa and Harbagoona districts during 1978–1984-armed struggle for regional self-determination. Nearly 10,000 freedom fighters and civilians are estimated to have lost their lives during these uprisings and the 6-year armed struggle against military regime by SLM.
The Sidama nation has been and continues to be one of the most persecuted nations in Ethiopia due to its relentless pursuit for the recognition of its rights to regional self-rule. In the past 135 years, successive Ethiopian regimes violently crushed peaceful dissent as well as armed uprisings waged by the Sidama nation to defend these inalienable rights. The Loqqee massacre of peaceful demonstrators on 24 May 2002 highlights a repeated historic cycle of persecution and violence against the Sidama nation by the successive regimes. The history of the Sidama nation within Ethiopia has been the history of relentless persecution and massacre.
Nevertheless, no previous regime has systematically planned, targeted and executed a political revenge of a grand scale as Abiy Ahmed did in Sidama. Abiy Ahmed not only massacred the Sidama nation on a broad day light on 18 July 2019 but also robbed the right of the Sidama people to govern their Regional State by appointing incompetent traitors who were committed to exact revenge on the Sidama people on his behalf and continue to do so for 8 years,
However, his attempt to dismantle the 1995 Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia will be an ultimate revenge not only on the Sidama nation but also the entire oppressed nations of the country. Therefore, the Sidama people and all oppressed nations in the country should unite to save the country from the incompetent tyrant, Abiy Ahmed, who made the lives of 135 million Ethiopians a living hell on earth.
Victory to the Sidama Nation
Victory to all oppressed nations of Ethiopia
SNLF and SHRC
July 2026
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