• This is the third state of emergency in the last four years in Ethiopia.
ADDIS ABABA – Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus global pandemic.
“Considering the gravity of the Covid-19, the government of Ethiopia has enacted a State of Emergency,” Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s office said Wednesday.
The country has so far recorded 52 Covid-19cases, two deaths and four recoveries.
The move comes less than 20 hours after PM Abiy met with leaders of competing political parties to discuss “new measures that will go in effect in the next few days in relation to #COVID19.”
“Considering the effects of Covid-19 are multidimensional and far-reaching, we can only overcome the challenges together,” said on Tuesday.
This is the third state of emergency in the last four years. Ethiopia announced a state of emergy in October 2016 over anti-government protests, and another one in February 2018 following the abrupt resignation of PM Hailemariam Desalegn.