US welcomes lifting of 'state of emergency' in Ethiopia

The US has welcomed the lifting of the state of emergency in Ethiopia and called for the release of detainees.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said lifting the emergency was another important step Ethiopia's government was taking, paving the way for a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict.

Mr Price said that they urge that this move be immediately followed by the release of all individuals arrested or



detained without charge under the state of emergency.

The emergency decree was passed in November last year for six months as an alliance of rebel forces - including the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) - advanced towards the capital, Addis Ababa.

The government has cited an improved security situation and the economic costs of the decree as the reasons for its decision.