Ethiopia parliament ratifies PM Abiy's first cabinet

Ethiopia’s new prime minister named a cabinet on Thursday that includes the former mining minister as defence minister and retains the finance and foreign ministers from his predecessor’s cabinet.

Abiy Ahmed, who was appointed by Ethiopia’s ruling coalition last month and sworn in as prime minister on April 2, made the announcement on state television.

“I am requesting parliament to ratify the reshuffle of six ministers and the new appointment of 10 others,” Ahmed, a former army officer, said. The remaining ministers from the previous cabinet, including finance and foreign affairs, were unchanged.

Every lawmaker in the 547-seat parliament is from the ruling EPRDF coalition, the new cabinet has subsequently been ratified by the assembly.

Ethiopia’s economy has officially grown at an average of nearly 10 percent for the past decade, the fastest in Africa, but political unrest in the country of 100 million people led to the sudden resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in February.

Here is the list of ministerial appointments – approved by the parliament today:

Shiferaw Shigutie Minister of Agriculture and Livestock resource
Sirag Fegessa Minister of Transport
Dr. Hirut Woldemariam- Minister of Labor and Social Affairs
Teshome Toga – Minister of Public Enterprises
Umer Hussien – Authority of Customs and Revenue Director-General (with the rank of minister)
Uba Mohamed – Minister of Information and Communication Technology
Dr. Ambachew Mekonen- Minister of industry
Motuma Mekassa – Minister of Defense
Fozia Amin – Minister of Culture and Tourism
Ahmed Shide – Minister of Government Communication Affairs Office
Jantirar Abay – Minister of Housing and Urban Development
Melese Alemu – Minister of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas
Birhanu Tsegaye – Attorney General (with the rank of minister)
Yalem Tsegay- Women and Children Affairs Minister
Melaku Alebel – Minister of Trade
Dr. Amir Aman – Minister of Health