Ethiopia’s parliament has voted to lift the six-month state of emergency, imposed on the country last November when Tigrayan rebels threatened to enter the capital.
The announcement was made on social media by Ethiopia’s foreign ministry.
The House of Peoples’ Representatives of #Ethiopia has approved today the lifting of the six-month state of emergency. pic.twitter.com/H9uLSs4ung
— MFA Ethiopia🇪🇹 (@mfaethiopia) February 15, 2022
Some 63 out of the 312 lawmakers opposed lifting the mandate, while 21 abstained.
On 2 November, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) took over two towns 400 kilometres north of Addis Ababa, resulting in the state of emergency.
Scores of ethnic Tigrayans in the capital and elsewhere were detained, a move which was condemned by Amnesty International.
A number of those detained remain in detention. Parliament did not acknowledge if these people would be released or not.
No ceasefire in sight
Drone strikes coupled with the state of emergency pushed the TPLF back to Tigray in December, and Ethiopia’s Federal Government said it would not pursue the rebels, which many hoped it was the beginning of the end to the war.
However, the TPLF announced it was conducting military operations into neighbouring Afar region as a response to government troop attacks, which muted the hope of a ceasefire.
Ongoing humanitarian crisis
The United Nations has repeatedly accused the Ethiopian government of preventing aid from going to the Tigray region, creating a blockade in all but name, while the government blames the TPLF.
Thousands are on the brink of starvation in Tigray with 40 percent of the population facing "an extreme lack of food", while others have had to flee the 15-month-long war, according to the UN.
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Shortages of fuel and supplies have also hampered the limited aid delivery by humanitarian groups. The World Health Organization on Tuesday urged authorities to allow "unfettered access" into Tigray for the first delivery of supplies since July, as lack of fuel curtailed their deliveries.
Foreign diplomats have called for a humanitarian corridor and expanded aid access to help those caught in the crossfire.
The war began in November 2020 after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray to topple the TPLF, the region’s former ruling party, justifying the move as a response to rebel attacks on army camps.
