Activists from Sidama ethnic group in Ethiopia to delay declaring new region

The head of a political party representing some of Ethiopia's ethnic Sidama people said on Thursday it would postpone plans to declare a new region in defiance of the federal government and would accept the offer of a referendum in five months' time.

"Now the most important thing is peace for our people," Million Tumato, president of the Sidama Liberation Movement Party, told Reuters. "Still the five months timeline is not specific as it doesn't indicate when the referendum will take place."

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