19/02/2018 (Agence Europe) – The six-month state of emergency decreed on 16 February, the day after the resignation of Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, could run counter to addressing the crisis peacefully, says the EU, urging all actors to enter dialogue. “It will be important for the new government to have the full capacity to pursue the positive reforms initiated by the prime minister to address the grievances of the population”, states the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) in a release on Monday 19 February. She adds: “Only a constructive dialogue among all stakeholders – authorities, opposition, media, civil society – will allow for a peaceful and durable resolution of the crisis. The announced reinstatement of the state of emergency risks undermining this very objective”. In addition, the EU trusts the state of emergency will be “as limited in time as possible”. (AN)