Addis Ababa, Jumada I 30, 1439, Feb 16, 2018, SPA -- Ethiopia announced a state of emergency on Friday after Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on Thursday announced his intention to step down amid unrest and a political crisis in the Horn of Africa country. The ruling EPRDF coalition's council met on Friday and decided to impose emergency rule, the state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation said. The announcement did not say how long the rule would be in place. The prime minister's resignation followed a wave of strikes and demonstrations successfully demanding the release of more opposition leaders. More than 6,000 political prisoners have been freed since January as the government has struggled to placate discontent. -- SPA 22:06 LOCAL TIME 19:06 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w613600