A Federal Foreign Office Spokesperson issued the following statement today (20 February) on the situation in Ethiopia:We are concerned about the latest domestic developments in Ethiopia. The declaration of a state of emergency allows a massive curtailment of civil rights. The Federal Foreign Office calls on the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, a country with which it enjoys friendly ties, to continue its recent endeavours to create greater scope for political dialogue. Since the start of the year, Ethiopia has released a large number of members of the opposition from prison, a step we very much welcomed. Since then, several thousand prisoners have been released, including the well‑known opposition leader Dr Merera Gudina.

Source: Ethiopian News February 21, 2018 00:00 UTC