Tuesday, November 01, 2016

Ethiopia Appoints 21 New Ministers Amid State of Emergency

(Nov 01, 2016, (voa))--Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has announced a Cabinet reshuffle, following months of often-violent protests which led the government to declare a state of emergency.

Ethiopia’s parliament has unanimously approved 21 new appointees, the prime minister said Tuesday. He said the new ministers were picked for competence and commitment rather than “party loyalty."

The appointees include a new minister of foreign affairs, Workneh Gebeyehu, who replaces Tedros Adhanom, a former health minister who has been one of Ethiopia’s most recognizable public figures in recent years. Adhanom is currently a candidate vying to be the next World Health Organization’s chief.

Communications Minister and government spokesman Getachew Reda was ousted and replaced by Negeri Lencho, the head of the journalism and communications college at Addis Ababa University.
Both Gebeyehu and Lencho are members of the Oromo, the main ethnic group behind the protests of the past year, and replace members of the Tigrayan ethnic group. Read more from voa »

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