List of presidents of Ethiopia

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This is a list of presidents of Ethiopia, and also a list of heads of state after the fall of the Ethiopian Empire in 1974.

Contents

Until the Ethiopian Revolution of 1974, the heads of state of Ethiopia were either emperors or regents. From the coup d'état of the Derg leading to the fall of the empire in September 1974 until March 1975, the Derg considered the crown prince Asfaw Wossen (later regnal name Amha Selassie) as the king (not emperor) and the nominal head of state – which the crown prince refused to accept. During this time, the chairmen of the Derg, the leaders of the Derg, were to be considered as acting heads of state. On 21 March 1975, the Derg military junta abolished the monarchy and fully took over. Until the establishment of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in 1987, still dominated by Derg figures, chairmen of the Derg have to be considered heads of state – but not presidents. After the fall of the Derg and the establishment of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia in 1991, the first immediate president (Meles Zenawi) has to be considered an Interim President.

Since the formal establishment of the office of president in 1987, there have been 6 official presidents. The president is the head of state of Ethiopia. The current president is Taye Atske Selassie, elected on 7 October 2024 by members of the Federal Parliamentary Assembly. [1]

List of officeholders

In the list, the chairmen of the Derg are considered to be heads of state – but are not considered to be president. Consequently, the numbering starts with the first establishment of the office of the president of Ethiopia in 1987.

No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of officeParty
(Coalition)
Elected
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Flag of Ethiopia (1975-1987) (02).svg Derg (Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia) (1974–1987) • Emblem of the Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia.svg
Position not established (12 September 1974 – 15 September 1974)
Aman andom.png Lieutenant general
Aman Mikael Andom
(1924–1974)
Acting Head of State
15 September 197417 November 1974
(Resigned)
63 days Military
Mengistu Haile Mariam 3.jpg Major
Mengistu Haile Mariam
(born 1937)
Acting Head of State
17 November 197428 November 197411 days Military
Tafari Benti (cropped).gif Brigadier general
Tafari Benti
(1921–1977)
28 November 19743 February 1977†2 years, 67 days Military
Mengistu Haile Mariam 3.jpg Lieutenant colonel
Mengistu Haile Mariam
(born 1937)
3 February 197710 September 198710 years, 219 days Military
COPWE
WPE
Flag of Ethiopia (1987-1991).svg People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1987–1991) • Emblem of the Peoples' Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.svg
1 Mengistu Haile Mariam 3.jpg Mengistu Haile Mariam
(born 1937)
10 September 198721 May 1991
(Resigned)
3 years, 253 days WPE 1987
Tesfaye Gebre Kidan.jpg Tesfaye Gebre Kidan
(1935–2004)
Acting
21 May 199127 May 1991
(Deposed)
6 days Independent
Vacant during the fall of the Derg regime (27 May 1991 – 28 May 1991)
Flag of Ethiopia (1991-1996).svg Transitional Government of Ethiopia (1991–1995) • Emblem of Transitional Government of Ethiopia.svg
Meles Zenawi - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012.jpg Meles Zenawi
(1955–2012)
Interim
28 May 199121 August 19954 years, 85 days TPLF
(EPRDF)
Flag of Ethiopia.svg Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1995–present) • Emblem of Ethiopia.svg
Meles Zenawi - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012.jpg Meles Zenawi
(1955–2012)
Interim
21 August 199522 August 19951 day TPLF
(EPRDF)
2 Negasso Gidada.jpg Negasso Gidada
(1943–2019)
22 August 19958 October 20016 years, 47 days ODP
(EPRDF)
1995
Independent [a]
3 The Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Agriculture, Shri Kantilal Bhuria with the President of Ethiopia, Mr. Girma Woldegiorgis during his visit to Ethiopia on November 08, 2006 (cropped).jpg Girma Wolde-Giorgis
(1924–2018)
8 October 20017 October 201311 years, 364 days Independent 2001
2007
4 Mulatu Teshome in Warsaw - 2018 (40792938585) (cropped).jpg Mulatu Teshome
(born 1957)
7 October 201325 October 20185 years, 18 days ODP
(EPRDF)
2013
5 Sahle-Work Zewde in 2016.jpg Sahle-Work Zewde
(born 1950)
25 October 20187 October 20245 years, 348 days Independent 2018
6 Taye Atske Selassie MFA Portrait.jpg Taye Atske Selassie
(born 1956)
7 October 2024Incumbent343 days Independent 2024

Timeline

Taye Atske SelassieSahle-Work ZewdeMulatu TeshomeGirma Wolde-GiorgisNegasso GidadaMeles ZenawiTesfaye Gebre KidanTafari BentiMengistu Haile MariamAman AndomList of presidents of Ethiopia

See also

Notes

  1. Expelled from both the ODP party and the EPRDF coalition on 22 June 2001. [2]

References

  1. "Ethiopia president replaced after falling out with PM". BBC News. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  2. "ETHIOPIA: President expelled from ruling party", IRIN, 25 June 2001.