A state of emergency installed after the resignation of Ethiopia’s prime minister Thursday will continue for the next six months, a high-ranking official said Saturday, according to the Associated Press. Siraj Fegessa, country’s defense minister, also said the emergency declaration could be extended for an additional four months, and that the military would not attempt to take over the government during this time. Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn tendered his resignation two days later, though he continues to remain in office temporarily, a move he said would help political reforms and one that caused Ethiopia’s cabinet to declare a state of emergency, citing ethnic unrest. The most recent state of emergency in Ethiopia is the second the country’s government has put in place since 2016, following protests that killed dozens of demonstrators. The U.S. Embassy to Ethiopia on Saturday released a statement opposing the most recent state of emergency declaration.

Source: Ethiopian News February 17, 2018 18:22 UTC