Ethiopian ministers propose ending state of emergency now | Breaking News Updates

NAIROBI, Kenya — Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers on Wednesday proposed ending the country’s six-month state of emergency, citing recent developments in the war that has raged in Tigray and neighboring areas for more than ‘a year.

The proposal must be approved by lawmakers. It comes after “changes in the security situation,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

A state of emergency was imposed in early November when Tigray forces fighting Ethiopian and allied forces moved closer to the capital, Addis Ababa. They retreated to the northern Tigray region late last month under pressure from a military offensive backed by drones.

Witnesses, lawyers and human rights groups said thousands of ethnic Tigrayans were being held under sweeping emergency powers. An unknown number were released after the change of war at the end of last month.

In a statement, the government-established Ethiopian Human Rights Commission urged lawmakers to quickly approve the proposal to end the state of emergency, saying the proposal calls for the release of those still detained in relationship with it.

The Ethiopian government has sought to restrict reporting on the conflict and has detained some journalists under a state of emergency, including PA-accredited independent videographer Amir Aman Kiyaro.