Ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie has been appointed as Ethiopia’s new president.
The House of People’s Representatives (HoPR) and the House of Federation (HoF) approved his appointment. Five members abstained, but the majority voted in favor.
Taye is an experienced Ethiopian diplomat. He has a long history of work at the United Nations (UN). He replaces Sahle-Work Zewde, who was the first female president of Ethiopia. Sahle-Work served since 2018.
A swearing-in ceremony for Taye took place on Monday. He was the foreign minister before becoming president. In Ethiopia, the president has a mostly ceremonial role. The real political power lies with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
Reports suggest that Sahle-Work and Abiy had disagreements in recent years. Abiy initially supported her appointment in 2018, which was seen as a major step for gender equality in Ethiopian politics.
However, on Saturday, Sahle-Work posted a brief and cryptic message on X, indicating her dissatisfaction.
Sources close to her said she had been unhappy for a long time and was looking forward to the end of her term, which is later this month. During her presidency, she called for peace across the country.
However, she faced criticism for not addressing gender-based violence during the two-year civil war in Tigray. It is believed she was worried about the ongoing conflicts in the Oromia and Amhara regions.
In Amhara, federal forces have been clashing with a local militia, resulting in many deaths. Security forces have also been accused of committing crimes against humanity.
Taye, who is 68 years old, is seen as a close ally of Abiy. He was sworn in front of members of parliament on Monday. With Sahle-Work’s departure, Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania is now Africa’s only female head of state.
