Ethiopia’s parliament approved on Tuesday a government move to end a state of emergency two months earlier than planned, state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting reported.

The decision follows a weekend resolution by the Council of Ministers to noted that ‘law and order’ had been restored.

The state of emergency was imposed in mid February after the resignation of former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn which gave rise to a power struggle within the ruling coalition, Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).

Fana Broadcasting reported that Ethiopia’s 547- seat House of People’s Representatives discussed the council’s resolution on Tuesday and overwhelmingly passed it with just eight abstentions.

All legislators in Ethiopia’s parliament are members of the ruling party.

Abiy Ahmed, a former army officer who replaced Hailemariam as premier, has travelled around Ethiopia, promising to address grievances strengthen a range of political and civil rights.

Authorities have pledged to push through a raft of reforms that have included the release of thousands of prisoners.

: Ethiopia PM appeals for unity, pledges democracy and improved relations with Eritrea </s> Ethiopia’s parliament approved on Tuesday the government’s decision to lift a six-month state of emergency two months earlier than planned, state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting reported.

The government imposed emergency rule in February to clamp down on unrest sparked by a planned development scheme for the capital Addis Ababa which some fear will lead to land seizures in the nearby Oromiya region.

The matter made Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to step down.

On Saturday, Ethiopia’s cabinet had met to assess the security situation and “noted that law and order has been restored”, setting the stage for Tuesday’s vote in parliament.

Abiy Ahmed, a former army officer who replaced Hailemariam as premier, has travelled around Ethiopia, promising to address grievances to strengthen a range of political and civil rights.

Authorities have pledged to push through a raft of reforms that have included the release of thousands of prisoners.

NAN reports that a State of Emergency was declared on Oct. 9, 2016.

The state of emergency authorises the military to enforce security nationwide. It also imposes restrictions on freedom of speech and access to information.

Media have reported the state of emergency’s duration was announced for six months.

The Constitution of Ethiopia provides for a six-month state of emergency under certain conditions.

The government’s declaration of state of emergency followed massive protests by the Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups against the government, which is controlled by people in the Tigrayan ethnic group, a smaller ethnic minority.

It is the first time in approximately 25 years that a state of emergency has been declared in Ethiopia.

In March 2017, Ethiopia’s parliament voted to extend the state of emergency for another four months. </s> Ethiopia's parliament has lifted its state of emergency two months early, after ministers voted that law and order has been restored in the country, according to state media.

The country's council of Ministers approved a draft law on Saturday to lift the current state of emergency which started in October 2016, following months of protests from Oromo groups in the country.

The nation has been in an official state of emergency since February 16 and has experienced two years of protests.

The Oromos are Ethiopia's largest ethnic group and make up around a third of the nation's 100 million population. </s> ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia’s parliament approved on Tuesday the government’s decision to lift a six-month state of emergency two months earlier than planned, state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting reported.

The government imposed emergency rule in February to clamp down on unrest sparked by a planned development scheme for the capital Addis Ababa which some fear will lead to land seizures in the nearby Oromiya region. The matter led to Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to step down.

On Saturday, Ethiopia’s cabinet had met to assess the security situation and “noted that law and order has been restored”, setting the stage for Tuesday’s vote in parliament.

Abiy Ahmed, a former army officer who replaced Hailemariam as premier, has travelled around Ethiopia, promising to address grievances strengthen a range of political and civil rights.

Authorities have pledged to push through a raft of reforms that have included the release of thousands of prisoners. </s> NAN reports that a State of Emergency was declared on Oct. 9, 2016.

The state of emergency authorises the military to enforce security nationwide. It also imposes restrictions on freedom of speech and access to information.

Media have reported the state of emergency’s duration was announced for six months.

The Constitution of Ethiopia provides for a six-month state of emergency under certain conditions.

The government’s declaration of state of emergency followed massive protests by the Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups against the government, which is controlled by people in the Tigrayan ethnic group, a smaller ethnic minority.

It is the first time in approximately 25 years that a state of emergency has been declared in Ethiopia.

In March 2017, Ethiopia’s parliament voted to extend the state of emergency for another four months. </s> Ethiopia has lifted the state of emergency in the East African country, imposed in February following the abrupt resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn after months of protests.

Parliament approved a bill on Tuesday to end the emergency rule two months earlier than planned, state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting reported.

Mass protests erupted in 2015 when anti-government demonstrations broke out among the Oromo, Ethiopia's biggest ethnic group, and later spread to the Amhara, the second biggest group.

The protests, which initially began over land rights but later broadened to include calls for greater political representation at the national level, were met with a harsh government response.

In August 2017, Ethiopia lifted a 10-month state of emergency imposed after hundreds of people were killed in anti-government protests demanding wider political freedoms.

Since the election of Abiy Ahmed, the first Oromo prime minister in the country's history, the authorities have pledged to push through a raft of reforms.

Abiy has travelled to several areas of the country, promising to address grievances and strengthen a range of political and civil rights.

In addition, several thousands of prisoners have been released and tensions in restive areas, notably Oromia, have dramatically declined. </s> Ethiopia on Friday declared a state of emergency one day after Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn announced his resignation, state media reported.

"A state of emergency has been declared as of now," the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) said, citing a decision by the council of ministers.

A statement read by an anchor on the state mouthpiece gave no timeline for the decree, the country's second since 2016.

The decision capped a tumultuous week in which some of Ethiopia's most prominent dissidents left jail in a prisoner amnesty, and anti-government protests rocked the country's largest region, Oromia.

"Because of the dangers the constitution and the constitutional system is facing, we have reached the point where it is difficult to keep the law in the usual way," according to the statement on EBC.

"To be able to protect the constitutional system, declaring a state of emergency has become necessary," the statement added.

Ethiopia last declared a state of emergency in October 2016 after months of protests in Oromia -- home to the country's largest ethnicity the Oromos, and neighbouring Amhara region.

The 10-month decree succeeded in quelling the unrest, which killed hundreds and resulted in tens of thousands of arrests, but anti-government sentiment remains strong among both peoples.

Earlier this week businesses closed and young men armed with rocks and sticks blocked roads in Oromia in a two-day strike to push the government to release more prisoners. </s> Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn has been in power since 2012. By Jewel Samad (AFP/File)

Addis Ababa (AFP) - Ethiopia declared a state of emergency on Sunday following months of violent anti-government protests, according to an official statement.

"The state of emergency was declared following a thorough discussion by the Council of Ministers on the loss of lives and property damages occurring in the country," Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said. </s> The Ethiopian government has declared a state of emergency effective immediately following a week of anti-government violence that resulted in deaths and property damage across the country, especially in the restive Oromia region.

"The Council of Ministers has declared a state of emergency that will be effective as of Saturday evening so as to deal with anti-peace elements that have allied with foreign forces and are jeopardizing the peace and security of the country," the state Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation announced Sunday morning.

It added that that the Council of Ministers discussed the damage by the protests across the country and declared the state of emergency in a message delivered to Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

Major towns and cities across the Oromia region are experiencing unrest and widespread violent protests after dozens were killed on October 2 in a stampede triggered when police fired teargas and bullets to disperse protestors at the annual Irrecha thanksgiving celebration in Bishoftu town.

The state broadcaster said details of the state of emergency will be communicated to the public later Sunday.
Fana Broadcasting reports that the Parliament of Ethiopia approves a bill and lifts the state of emergency, two months earlier than planned.