ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian National Security Council (ENSC) on Saturday urged citizens to respect the state of emergency that came into effect on Friday.
Ethiopian Council of Ministers on Friday imposed a state of emergency, saying it was to protect the country's constitution, citizens and their property from the ongoing violent demonstrations in some parts of the country.
Siraj Fegessa, Ethiopia's defense minister, told local media on Saturday that the state of emergency, due effective for six months, will bring together the country's security forces to ensure "the country's law and order is effectively maintained."
The minister further warned "internal and external forces to refrain from deconstructive attempts that would jeopardize the current socioeconomic gains of the country."
The Africa's second most populous nation had witnessed a ten-month state of emergency since October 2016, following the Ethiopian parliament's decision to extend the initial six-month period by four months.
According to Fegessa, the ten-month state of emergency was effective in calming the violent demonstrations that rocked the East African country for much of 2016 and 2017.
Fegessa also revealed that the state of emergency would further extend its duration if the expected outcomes are not achieved.
The previously imposed state of emergency, during its initial days, had imposed restrictions including curfew, social media blocks, and a ban on diplomats traveling more than 40 km outside the capital Addis Ababa without approval.
