The announcement came amid continuing anti-government unrest in Ethiopia despite authorities ending a 10-month state of emergency last year and ongoing dialogue between the government and some opposition groups. “I think [for] the ruling party, it is time to rethink, and stop these piecemeal things and lead this country to a real national dialogue and a national consensus. Merera was detained in December 2016 shortly after the state of emergency declaration, which followed months of anti-government protests. The unrest later spread to another region populated by Ethiopia’s second-largest ethnic group, the Amharas. While he was charged with an array of offences, Merera believes his arrest was an attempt to sap the morale of the protesters and sow disunity among the country’s opposition parties.

Source: Ethiopian News January 24, 2018 10:52 UTC