Did the Council of Ministers lift the state of emergency?

Reuters, on Jan 26, reported that Ethiopia’s cabinet approved the lifting of the ongoing state of emergency. The media outlet published a news article titled, “Ethiopia’s cabinet approves lifting of the state of emergency.” However, HaqCheck has examined the issue and rated the claim MISLEADING.

The war which erupted between Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) forces and the federal government in Nov 2020 is still protracted. The federal government withdrew from Mekelle in June 2020. Thereafter, TPLF forces advanced southward and expanded their control as far as Debre Sina town of the Amhara Regional State.

As the war intensified in the neighboring Afar and Amhara regions, the federal government declared a state of emergency instantly to be valid for a six months period throughout the country.

Then, the Ethiopian Government launched counter-offensives against TPLF forces and pushed them out of the Amhara and Afar regional states. At the end of its operation, the government announced that its forces would not advance further into Tigray. It stated that its forces would stay in areas the Tigray Regional State shares borders with Amhara and Afar regions.

Recently, the government freed prominent political figures including Jawar Mohammed and Sebhat Nega from prison. There have also been reports that the federal government and TPLF forces will negotiate on a cease-fire to end the armed conflict.

On Jan 26, Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers passed a proposal of ending the state of emergency declared in November last year to be submitted to the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR) for approval.

Following the statement, Reuters came out with a news article that Ethiopia’s cabinet of ministers lifted the state of emergency.

However, HaqCheck fact-checked the claim and found it MISLEADING.

It is true that the Council of Ministers approved a proposal to end the state of emergency. But the cabinet has no legal mandate to lift it by a decision without the approval of the HPR. Hence, the cabinet sends the proposal to the HPR for ratification.

The sub-article two of article 11 of the proclamation of the state of emergency declared on Nov 2, 2021, states that the HPR can lift the state of emergency ahead of its expiration.