Taye Atske Selassie, elevated to the presidency, had been foreign minister since February.
In a recent session, the Ethiopian parliament sanctioned a new leader to succeed Sahle-Work Zewde, the country’s pioneering female president.
Since February, Taye Atske Selassie has held the position of foreign minister and is now stepping into the largely symbolic presidential role. True governing clout, however, resides with the prime minister, Abiy Ahmed.
Rumors suggest discord between Sahle-Work and Abiy had been brewing over the years.
When Abiy endorsed her for the presidency in 2018, it was celebrated as a stride toward gender equity in Ethiopian governance.
Sahle-Work recently shared a succinct, somewhat cryptic message on X, hinting at discontent due to her year-long silence.
Insiders close to the 74-year-old divulged to BBC Amharic that she had been discontent for a considerable duration and was eagerly anticipating her term’s conclusion, which looms later this month.
Throughout her tenure, she persistently advocated for peace across Ethiopia. Nevertheless, she faced criticism for not speaking out more forcefully about gender-based violence during the two-year turmoil in Tigray, though her concerns lay with ongoing disputes in Oromia and Amhara regions.
In Amhara, federal troops clashing with local militias resulted in numerous casualties and accusations against security forces of egregious human rights violations.
President Taye, 68, a seasoned diplomat with stints at the UN and in Egypt, is viewed as an ally to Abiy. He took his oath before parliament members on Monday.
With Sahle-Work’s departure, Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania presently holds the title of Africa’s solitary female head of state.
Edited by: Ali Musa
Axadle international–Monitoring
