Ethiopia bans protest rallies across the country in 'national security' move
Photo @ The Ethiopian government on Friday announced a ban on protest rallies across the country, the state-owned ENA reports. The move according to the authorities is part of a national security plan aimed at consolidating peace and stability in the country. The defense minister, Siraj Fagessa, in a press briefing after a national security council discussion said the ban was a consensus decision by the council with the aim of preventing deaths and destruction of properties across the country. The minister, however, admitted that parts of the country were becoming volatile after the lifting of the 10 – month state of emergency but Ethiopia was largely peaceful in its current state. The government has also vowed to prosecute officials complicit in compromising state security. He disclosed further that the current security plan had been developed at the national level but with support of all regional states and with ‘feedback from foreign countries.’ Regional states were to