Authorities in Ethiopia's Somali region have released about 1,500 people from prison, the latest step in a campaign to ease long-running political tensions. Mohammed Bilal Hassan, media adviser to the regional president, told VOA's Horn of Africa service that the prisoners were released Thursday, hours after regional officials announced such action would be taken. Up to 6,000 prisoners across Ethiopia have now been released within the last month. The government declared a state of emergency last week after Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn announced he plans to resign. The U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa said the move "undermines recent positive steps toward creating a more inclusive political space, including the release of thousands of prisoners."

Source: Ethiopian News February 22, 2018 18:56 UTC