Ethiopia has become the focus of attention in the turbulent Horn of Africa. Every political move in the ancient, landlocked country is closely monitored for its potential impact on the stability of a region where war drums are getting louder.
This continues to be the case with the appointment last month of a new president, Taye Atske Selassie. Previously foreign minister and a seasoned diplomat, Taye replaces Ethiopia’s first female president, Sahle-Work Zewde.
The changeover is significant, following a fallout between Sahle-Work and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. To many, Abiy has morphed from a global hero, who in 2019 received a Nobel Peace Prize, to a pariah criticized for silencing dissent and widely condemned for his conduct of a two-year war against rebels in Tigray province.
As a close ally of Abiy, Taye risks blemishing his reputation in taking up the largely ceremonial role of president, according to Abdalla Ahmed Ibrahim, director at the East Africa Center for Research and Strategic Studies in Nairobi. But he also has the credentials needed to argue that the Abiy’s government now wants to extend a hand to its rivals at home and abroad, “promoting national unity and international relations,” Ibrahim adds.
Internally, Ethiopia is grappling with ethnic tensions. The Tigray war might be over, but pockets of rebellion are appearing across many regions.
Externally, investment in a controversial hydroelectric dam and a quest for direct access to the sea through a deal with the breakaway region of Somaliland have irked Egypt and Somalia, respectively. The Horn is on edge, with Egypt supplying arms to Somalia, Ethiopia’s often hostile neighbor.
“Ethiopia can expect President Taye to focus on peace, stability and economic growth,” Ibrahim says.
The new head of state has promised to bring harmony not only to the war-torn country but across the region. Over four decades as a diplomat at the UN and in Egypt, and other countries affords him the necessary experience and exposure.
Economic growth, reducing poverty, and promoting equality are other critical areas Taye intends to focus on. Growth has averaged 10% annually over the past decade and half, but poverty and inequality remain rampant in Africa’s second most populous nation.
