Ethiopia’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Lencho Bati, is set to replace Ambassador Seleshi Bekele in Washington.
The resignation letter submitted by Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the US, Seleshi Bekele, has been accepted by Ethiopia federal government.
Former Water Resources Minister Seleshi Bekele, currently serving as Ethiopia’s ambassador to the US, has had his resignation request from his government position accepted, according to sources.
The Reporter newspaper noted that Seleshi Bekele, who was not only appointed as Ethiopia’s ambassador to the US but also planned to resign from the government structure to become a private employee, has had his resignation confirmed.
Ambassador Seleshi joined the government without being a party member during former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn’s tenure in 2015.
He has now resigned from his position as US ambassador to return to his previous private sector job.
However, when asked to confirm the information about Ambassador Seleshi Bekele’s resignation, Ambassador Nabiyu Tedla, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that he was unaware of the matter.
Seleshi Bekele, a former lecturer at Arbaminch University, served as Minister of Water and Energy for more than five years before his appointment as ambassador.
He is well-known for his interviews with international media about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and for leading tripartite discussions involving Ethiopia, Egypt, and Sudan.
Meanwhile, it has been announced that Lencho Bati, the current ambassador to Saudi Arabia, will replace Seleshi Bekele as Ethiopia’s ambassador to Washington.
This news follows the acceptance of Ambassador Seleshi Bekele’s resignation from his government duties.
Ambassador Lencho Bati, who will be appointed as Ethiopia’s ambassador to the US, has been serving as Ethiopia’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia since mid-2021.
Following Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s rise to power, Lencho Bati served as an advisor and later as an ambassador. He was formerly a leader of one wing of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).
