Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Reshuffles Cabinet: Defense Minister Among Those Replaced; It’s the Second Time in Less Than Three Months.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has made significant changes to his cabinet, including the dismissal of Defense Minister Abraham Belay (Dr.).
Abrham, previously serving as the Minister of National Defense, has been appointed as the Minister of Lowland Areas and Irrigation.
Aisha Mohammad has taken over Belay’s former role as the new Minister of National Defense. Additionally, Mohammad Endris (Dr.), the former director of the Diaspora Authority, has been appointed as the Minister of State in the Coordination Center for Building Democracy.
The Prime Minister did not publicly disclose the reasons behind these leadership changes. However, it is noteworthy that during a visit last week, he criticized the delays and financial mismanagement in the construction of irrigation dams in the war torn, Amhara region.
This recent reshuffle mirrors a similar move by Prime Minister Abiy two months ago, when he reorganized leadership across various government institutions, including security and diplomacy sectors.
At that time, Temesgen Tiruneh, who was the director of national security, was promoted to Deputy Prime Minister.
Taye Atsikesilasie, the former ambassador to the United Nations, was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
In another notable change, Dr. Makdes Daba has replaced Dr. Lia Tadese, who resigned from her position as Minister of Health.
Redwan Hussain, previously the security advisor to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, has been appointed as the Director General of the National Intelligence and Security Service.
Redwan has a distinguished background, having served as the State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Eritrea and Ireland, before his role as National Security Adviser.
The Prime Minister’s Office also announced the appointment of Tigist Hamid as the Director General of the Information Network Security Administration.
Demeke Mekonnen, who resigned three months ago, had served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia for the past 11 years and has since retired from public service.
