Residents of Ethiopia's Sidama zone are set to vote in a referendum to decide if they want to become the country's tenth semi-autonomous state. The Sidamas have been campaigning for regional independence for decades.
Mehret Beyeyne is hopeful. On Wednesday, November 20, she will cast the first ballot of her life in a referendum set to determine if her ethnic group, the Sidamas, will have their own semi-autonomous state. As she registers to vote, 21-year old Mehret is optimistic about the future of her people. "I am ready to vote and I am very happy. I hope that everything will be finalized in peace so that we can all live together in harmony."
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