Ethiopia has declared a a 6-month state of emergency a day after Prime Minister Hailemarim Desalegn has tendered a resignation letter. The measure imposed by the Council of Ministers is effective as of today, which came as a surprise to many because it was supposed to be voted by the parliament in the coming fifteen days when PMs return from the recess, no more than a formality. Siraj Fegessa, Ethiopia’s Defense Minister, will give a press briefing tomorrow to explain the restrictions, which in the past included arbitrary arrests without court orders; enables government to “censor and block” radio and television; and dawn-to-dusk prohibitions on unauthorised movements around infrastructure facilities and factories.
This is the second time the country has declared a state of emergency in two years. The first one was imposed on October 2017 and lasted till August of that year, following months of often violent anti-government protests in both Oromia and Amhara regions, which crippled the economy and modest tourism industry.
There is a growing fear that the country could descends into widespread civil unrest and bloodshed. In what it called as a precautionary measure, the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa is temporarily suspending all travel outside of Addis Ababa for Embassy personnel. All Americans are cautioned to avoid the area around protests and demonstrations and to check local media for updates on the situation.