A week after forming the new Ethiopian government, headed by Abiy Ahmed, Addis Ababa surprised Africa by electing the continent's first female president to lead Ethiopia. Half of the government's portfolios were already handed to women, including those of defence and intelligence. With Sahle-Work Zewde taking the oath of office last week, Ethiopia becomes the only African country with a woman sitting at its helm. Zewde is a 68-year-old veteran diplomat. She occupied top positions at the United Nations, including peace-keeping operations in Africa. The latest was her appointment, by UN Secretary General António Guterres, as UN representative at the African Union, headquartered in Addis Ababa. Earlier, Zewde was UN representative in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, housing the headquarters of the UN Environment Programme. Fitsum Arega, chief of staff at the prime minister's office, tweeted: “In a historic move, the two Houses [have] elected Sahle-Work Zewde as the next president of Ethiopia. She is the first female head of state in modern Ethiopia. A career diplomat [and] senior official at the UN, she brings the right competence [and] experience to the office.” In another tweet Arega wrote: “In a patriarchal society such as ours, the appointment of a female head of state not only sets the standard for the future but also normalises women as decision-makers in public life.” Despite being an honorary position, the symbolic importance of a female president in Ethiopia can't be disregarded. Besides, the president makes judicial and diplomatic appointments, chooses the leaders of monitoring institutions and declares war. In addition, in parliamentary systems such as Ethiopia, the president plays an integral role, superseding all other positions at times, that is in cases of political crises and constitutional vacuum, which are expected to happen in African countries, and generally in developing states. Zewde's election as president is part of wide-ranging reforms the prime minister has adopted. Ahmed is the first prime minister that hails from the Oromo group in modern history. The position was earlier occupied by the Tigray, and before them the Amhara. He is the first Muslim prime minister in long centuries. A bold reformist, Ahmed initiated the government's power sharing system, conducted rapprochement with arch-enemy Eritrea and extended bridges to Somalia. A point to his favour was his courage in announcing the appearance of stumbling blocks in the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), on the borders with Sudan, which is a project of national dignity to the majority of Ethiopians. Filling GERD has been a contentious point between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia for which the three countries held countless rounds of negotiations to no avail, yet. It's a foggy scene when it comes to GERD's financing, the level of corruption and the speed of construction. Nevertheless, the three countries continue to hold negotiations, which appears the only practical option now. Ahmed's endeavours are not limited to foreign relations.He embarked on an extensive political reform mission, approaching the opposition of whom many of its leading figures returned to the country after years of exile. The prime minister has also been involved in strenuous negotiations with the Oromos to reach a settlement on the master plan to expand the capital, which will eat up from the Oromos' agricultural lands. At the same time, Ahmed issued economic decrees allowing the local and foreign private sector to invest in banks, financial trading, airlines and telecommunications. The government had monopolised these sectors for decades. Ahmed wants to build upon the past six years in which his predecessor, Hailemariam Desalegn, achieved considerable growth in direct foreign investments, reaching $6 billion, the majority of which came from the textiles industry. Ethiopia recorded the highest growth rates in Africa, exceeding 10 per cent, from 2004 to 2013. The country has, nonetheless, been swamped in political difficulties caused by controversial elections during the reign of strongman Meles Zenawi and his successor, Desalegn, during which the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front won the two houses' seats. Ahmed promised fair elections in 2019. These will be a defining test for his policies that will reveal the extent to which he controls the state's crucial positions, competed for by powerful figures from the old guard. “A large number of leaders in the army, security apparatuses and state institutions are not satisfied with Ahmed's orientations,” said Khaled Mahmoud, an expert on African affairs. “The majority of these are Tigrays (the ethnic group from which hails late prime minister Meles Zenawi, 1991-2012). Some others don't belong to the group but their interests lie with the status quo,” added Mahmoud, who mentioned the attempt on Ahmed's life a few weeks after ascending to power. Those who masterminded the assassination attempt, Ahmed had said, “don't want to see Ethiopia united and rising”. Ahmed survived another attempt on his life when, weeks ago, armed soldiers entered the cabinet headquarters to negotiate their salaries. With a new president at the helm, Ethiopia can advance further in issues requiring cultural change, such as female genital mutilation, present at an alarming rate in the country, in addition to bettering the health of women and children and lowering mortality rates. Despite the development in allowing more children to be educated, Ethiopia needs more work in this sector to include all society. The presence of a veteran diplomat such as Zewde in office will help the country improve its record in human rights, food availability, minorities' conditions and relieve stress between Ethiopia's groups. Much work awaits Zewde and Ahmed, but what has been achieved so far is telling that Ethiopia can surpass major obstacles.
