The state of emergency imposed by the Ethiopian government has measures that are in clear breach of international law, according to a legal analysis of the October 9 directive carried out by Human Rights Watch (HRW). According to Felix Horne, senior researcher in Eritrea and Ethiopia, the sweeping powers handed the army under the law further limited the space for peaceful dissent. “Many of the abuses committed by security forces since November 2015 have now been codified under the state of emergency. “It is very clear this happened because of the statements of Human Rights Watch and of the Diaspora opposition encouraging and feeding rumors,” he said. READ MORE Ethiopia says 2000 protest detainees released after counselingOpposition groups, human rights outfits and western diplomats in the country have decried the the government’s decision to impose the state of emergency.

Source: Ethiopian News October 31, 2016 15:05 UTC