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 paving the way “for a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict”.

“We urge that this move be immediately followed by the release of all individuals arrested or detained without charge under the state of emergency,” Mr Price said.

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.

Source: bbc