Ethiopia has a new President. On Monday, October 7, Parliament elected Foreign Minister Taye Atske Selassie to succeed Sahle-Work Zewde, Ethiopia’s first female Head of State, whose term ends later this month. Though the Presidency in Ethiopia is a largely ceremonial role, the selection of a seasoned diplomat to fill the position carries significant weight.
Sahle-Work Zewde departed without making any public statement, leaving Taye Atske Selassie as the only one to address Parliament during the transition. Her silence has fueled speculation about the reasons for her quiet departure. Reports suggest a strained relationship with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, with sources indicating that she was eager for her term to conclude. Just three days before the handover, she shared a cryptic message on social media, alluding to “suffering” and the decision to remain silent.
Throughout her tenure, Sahle-Work Zewde expressed deep concern over Ethiopia’s ongoing civil conflicts in the Amhara and Oromia regions, where the federal army has been engaged in violent clashes with local militias, leading to hundreds of deaths and accusations of human rights violations. Although she never openly criticized the government, she consistently advocated for peace, dialogue, and national unity.
Taye Atske Selassie, a career diplomat, formally assumed his new role with the symbolic receipt of the Ethiopian Constitution from his predecessor. Having served as Minister of Foreign Affairs since earlier this year, he also previously represented Ethiopia as ambassador to the United Nations, as well as in Washington, Stockholm, and Cairo.
