Ethiopian Spy Chief Tiruneh Appointed as Deputy PM
On Thursday, Ethiopia’s parliament approved the appointment of Temesgen Tiruneh Dinku, the Director General of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), as the new deputy prime minister.
This move marked the replacement of Demeke Mekonnen, who had held the position for an extensive 11-year tenure.
The decision was reported by state-run media. Additionally, Taye Atske Selassie, a former ambassador to the United Nations, was confirmed as the new foreign minister, succeeding Mekonnen, who had been serving in that capacity since 2020.
Temesgen Tiruneh Dinku, who played a crucial role in overseeing the government’s response to the conflict in the Amhara region that erupted the previous year, was elected in late January to take on the role of vice president in the ruling Prosperity Party.
In the party’s structure, a vice president traditionally assumes the position of deputy prime minister.
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Demeke Mekonnen, the outgoing deputy prime minister, had been a stabilizing figure in Ethiopian politics, taking on the role in 2012 after the demise of long-time Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
He successfully navigated through a reorganization of the ruling party following the ascent of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to power in 2018.
Mekonnen’s subsequent appointment as foreign minister came in the wake of the civil war that erupted in the Tigray region in November 2020, a conflict that endured for two years and resulted in the tragic loss of tens of thousands of lives.
Furthermore, Mekdes Daba, a former official of the World Health Organization (WHO), was announced as the successor to Lia Tadesse as the health minister, according to the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation.
These appointments reflect significant changes in Ethiopia’s political landscape and key ministerial positions, highlighting a shift in leadership roles and responsibilities at both the domestic and international levels.
Ethiopian Spy Chief Tiruneh Appointed as Deputy PM
