2021 South West Region referendum

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in French. Click [show] for important translation instructions. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing French Wikipedia article at [[:fr:Référendum de 2021 sur la création d'une région d'Éthiopie du Sud-Ouest]]; see its history for attribution. You may also add the template {{Translated|fr|Référendum de 2021 sur la création d'une région d'Éthiopie du Sud-Ouest}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

A referendum on the creation of a South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region was held in the Keffa, Sheka, Bench Sheko, Dawro, West Omo Zones, and Konta special district of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) of Ethiopia on 30 September 2021 in conjunction with the 2021 Ethiopian general election.^[1] The result was 98% in favor of creating a new region, with turnout of 94%.

It was held two years after the 2019 Sidama Region referendum, making it the second referendum on the creation of a new regional state held in Ethiopia since Abiy Ahmed became prime minister in 2018.^[2]

Choice	Votes	%
Y For	1,221,092	98.07
Against	24,024	1.93
Blank or invalid	17,563	-
Total	1,262,679	100
Voter turnout	1,344,622	93.91
Source: Addis Standard Nebe

On 9 October 2021, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) released the results of the referendum. In a turnout of nearly 94%, voters decisively approved the proposed new regional state.^[1]

The result meant that South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region became the country's 11th regional state, after it was approved by the House of Federation. It has its own regional council and constitution, enjoying a degree of autonomy enshrined in Ethiopia's constitution.^[3]

After being approved on 30 October by the House of Federation,^[4] the new South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region was established on 23 November 2021, and Negash Wagesho appointed to lead it.^[5][6]