Ethiopia’s parliament on Tuesday lifted a state of emergency imposed last November when Tigrayan rebels threatened to advance on the capital, the foreign ministry said, easing restrictions earlier than expected. “The House of Peoples’ Representatives of #Ethiopia has approved today the lifting of the six-month state of emergency," the ministry said on Twitter. The vote by lawmakers followed a proposal by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s cabinet last month to ease the state of emergency, which was initially supposed to last until May. The state of emergency was declared on November 2 after fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) seized two crucial towns about 400 kilometres (250 miles) from Addis Ababa. The measure triggered mass detentions of ethnic Tigrayans in Addis Ababa and elsewhere, sparking condemnation from rights groups including Amnesty International.

Source: Ethiopian News February 15, 2022 21:17 UTC