The U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia said Saturday it opposes the Ethiopian government's imposition of a state of emergency. Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers Friday declared a six-month state of emergency for the country, effective immediately, a day after Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn announced he is resigning. "We strongly disagree with the Ethiopian government’s decision to impose a state of emergency that includes restrictions on fundamental rights such as assembly and expression," the embassy said in a statement. Ethiopian Defense Minister Siraj Fegessa ruled out a military takeover Saturday, but said security forces have been told to take "measures" against those disrupting the country's operations. In an effort to ease tensions, the government this week released more than 700 prisoners arrested during the protests and a previous state of emergency.

Source: Ethiopian News February 17, 2018 18:33 UTC