ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian lawmakers selected Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie as the country’s new president on Monday, filling a largely ceremonial role and marking the end of Sahle-Work Zewde’s tenure.
This appointment leaves Africa with just one female head of state, Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Taye, 68, will be Ethiopia’s fifth president under the current constitution, which was adopted in 1995. He succeeds Sahle-Work Zewde, 74, a highly regarded former diplomat who served as Ethiopia’s first female president from 2018 until her term ended this week.
Zewde’s appointment had symbolized Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s progressive reforms when he came to power in 2018, helping to promote a more gender-equal government and earning Ethiopia recognition from international partners.
However, ongoing internal conflicts, especially the brutal war in Tigray between 2020 and 2022, severely affected Abiy’s reputation and led to U.S. sanctions against his government.
Taye can hold the office for a maximum of two six-year terms. He was appointed as Foreign Minister only in February and has previously served as ambassador to the United Nations and Egypt.
