Ethiopia extends state of emergency in AmharaEthiopia's parliament on Friday extended by four months a state of emergency declared in August to respond to an insurgency in the northern region of Amhara that has resulted in hundreds of deaths and drawn accusations of widespread human rights abuses.
Fighting erupted in Amhara last July between federal forces and a local militia called Fano, which has accused the government of undermining the region's security.
The state of emergency handed the government powers to impose curfews, restrict people's movement and ban public gatherings. Since August, government forces have pushed Fano fighters out of cities but fighting has continued in smaller towns and rural areas.
Parliament said the extension was granted following a request by the justice minister and deliberations among lawmakers. The government denies it is seeking to undermine Amhara's security.