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Ethiopia has declared a state of emergency in the country to help curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Home to almost 110 million people, Ethiopia has recorded 55 coronavirus cases and two deaths to date.
According to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the Ethiopian government has decided to declare a state of emergency under Article 93 of the constitution because the coronavirus pandemic is getting worse.
The Prime Minister enjoins everybody to stand in line with government bodies and others that are trying to overcome the pandemic. He however added a warning of grave legal measures against anyone who undermines the fight against the pandemic.
It is not immediately clear how the state of emergency would affect day-to-day life in Ethiopia.
Authorities have already taken a series of measures to stem the spread of the virus including closing schools, banning public gatherings and requiring most employees to work from home.
The government has so far refrained from imposing a lockdown similar to those in effect in other parts the region, including in Rwanda, Uganda and Mauritius.
William Davison, senior Ethiopia analyst for the International Crisis Group, said, there is a lot of uncertainty about the extent to which the coronavirus may have spread so far in Ethiopia.
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While speaking to News agencies in Addis Ababa he explained that not too much testing has been done. But the government has however steadily increased testing efforts, accrediting other laboratories to do so.
Effects of the State of Emergency in Ethiopia
It is the first state of emergency announced under Prime Minister Abiy, who came to power in 2018. Abiy won the last year’s Nobel Peace Prize in part for expanding political freedoms.
According to the country’s constitution, under a state of emergency, the Council of Ministers has all the necessary power to protect the country’s peace and sovereignty and can suspend some political and democratic rights.
The constitution also says legislators need to approve a state of emergency, which can last for six months. Furthermore, it can be extended every four months. One of the things that the state of emergency does is to give the federal government more authority and ability to work in coordination with regional governments, including their security apparatus.
