Ethiopia declares national emergency: What is it all about?
The African country of Ethiopia declared a nationwide state of emergency recently. This decision came after rebels from the northern region of Tigray managed to seize a couple of towns as a part of their ultimate attempt to gain control of the Ethiopian capital city, Addis Ababa. Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, through an announcement, implored citizens to arm themselves in order to defend their territories and neighbourhoods from the Tigrayn rebel group known as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF.) Citizens are strictly prohibited from aiding the rebels in any way, and are obligated to follow curfews and other instructions. Gedion Timothewos, the Justice Minister of Ethiopia, warned that violation of the emergency protocols could lead up to 3-10 years in prison. Read on to understand what exactly a nationwide emergency means in general, as well as in an Indian political context.
Meaning of national emergency
A national emergency is a situation which gives authorisation to the government to exercise special powers and declare policies which would not be permitted in a normal situation. The main objective in allowing the government to exercise these distinct powers is to ensure the safety and protection of all its citizens, and to safeguard the interests of the nation.
Usually, such a situation is declared when there is a natural disaster, armed conflict, war, rebellion, external unrest, political threat, civil unrest, public health related situation such as a pandemic or an epidemic, economic issue or biosecurity risk. It can be also used as a way to suspend rights and freedoms which are guaranteed in a constitution. Every country has a different legal procedure for navigating through a national emergency.
Origin of the concept
Political historians trace the root of the concept of national emergency all the way back to ancient Rome. Roman law included a concept known as justitium which is a close equivalent to modern day political emergencies. In times of unrest, the Roman Senate would put forth a final decree which could not be challenged- it was absolute and ultimate. Although rigid, it ensured the safety of people and effectively managed situations of unrest.
Emergencies in India
There are three types of political emergencies in India namely: National emergency, state emergency and financial emergency. A national emergency can be declared due to a state of war, external aggression or armed rebellion- this comes under Article 352 of the Indian constitution. A state emergency (also known as President’s Rule or Constitutional Emergency) comes under Article 356 and can be declared when the constitutional machinery of a state fails. A financial emergency arises if there is a threat to the financial stability of the nation. This comes under Article 360 of the constitution.