Ethiopia’s PM Abiy Ahmed appoints new foreign minister in cabinet reshuffle
Source: Hiiraan Online, Friday October 18, 2024
FILE – Gedion Timothewos, Ethiopia’s Minister of Justice, addresses the 55th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on February 26, 2024.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (HOL) — Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed reshuffled his cabinet on Friday, appointing Dr. Gedion Timothewos as Foreign Minister to manage Ethiopia’s strained international relations following internal and regional conflicts.
Timothewos, formerly the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, was the main peace negotiator during the Tigray conflict. Observers believe his focus is restoring ties with Western countries, following criticism of Ethiopia’s handling of internal and regional conflicts.
The reshuffle comes amid increasing friction between Ethiopia and Somalia, particularly over a contentious Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ethiopia and Somaliland in January 2024. The MoU grants Ethiopia a 20-kilometer stretch of Somaliland’s Red Sea coastline in exchange for recognition of Somaliland’s independence. Somalia views this as a violation of its sovereignty, sparking diplomatic fallout that included Somalia expelling Ethiopia’s ambassador and threatening to remove Ethiopian troops from southern Somalia.
Ethiopia has defended the MoU as part of its regional growth strategy and a legitimate agreement based on the political realities within Somalia. However, Somali officials, including Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi, have accused Ethiopia of using counterterrorism operations as a pretext to expand its territorial influence, pointing to intercepted arms shipments allegedly sent by Ethiopia to fuel local conflicts. These tensions have drawn international concern, with the United Nations urging both nations to pursue a diplomatic resolution to avoid further instability in the Horn of Africa.
Meanwhile, Hanna Araya Selassie, former head of the Ethiopian Investment Commission, has been promoted to the new Minister of Justice.
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Salamawit Kassa was promoted to the Minister of Tourism after serving as the State Minister for the Federal Communication Service. Kassa’s appointment comes as Ethiopia looks to reinvigorate a sector hit hard by internal conflict and the pandemic.