U.S. “strongly disagrees” with Ethiopia’s state of emergency

The U.S. embassy in Ethiopia said on Saturday it disagreed with the government’s decision to impose a state of emergency to calm potential unrest the day after the prime minister’s surprise resignation.

“We strongly disagree with the Ethiopian government’s decision to impose a state of emergency that includes restrictions on fundamental rights such as assembly and expression,” the statement said.

“We recognize and share concerns expressed by the government about incidents of violence and loss of life, but firmly believe that the answer is greater freedom, not less,” it said.