List of heads of government of Ethiopia

This is a list of heads of government of Ethiopia since the formation of the post of Chief Minister of the Ethiopian Empire in 1909 (renamed to Prime Minister in 1943). Since 1909, there have been 3 chief ministers and 11 prime ministers and one was both chief minister and prime minister, making a total of 15 persons being or having been head of government.

Most of the prime ministers of Ethiopia were regular prime ministers, appointed through a regular political process. Some others were acting prime ministers only (indicated in the list below), while others were both acting and regular prime ministers during their term(s). In addition, there is one prime minister who was acting prime minister first, then was regularly appointed and finally served as a caretaker prime minister of an outgoing government: Hailemariam Desalegn. During the 1960 coup d'état attempt, two prime ministers served at the same time, the regular one and an irregular one appointed by the leaders of the coup. Also, there was an interim prime minister after the end of the Ethiopian Civil War.

Since 1995, the prime minister of Ethiopia has not only been the head of government, but also the commander-in-chief of the Ethiopian National Defense Force. The current prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, took office on 2 April 2018.^[1]

List

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Party (Coalition)	Elected
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party (Coalition)	Elected
• Ethiopian Empire (1137–1974) •
1		Fit'awrari Habte Giyorgis Dinagde (1851–1926)	1909	12 December 1926†	16–17 years	Independent	—
2		Ras Tafari Makonnen (1892–1975)^[a]	1927	1 May 1936 (Exiled)	8–9 years	Independent	—
3		Betwoded Wolde Tzaddick	1 May 1936	14 May 1942	6 years, 13 days	Independent	—
4		Ras Betwoded Makonnen Endelkachew (1890–1963)	14 May 1942	27 November 1957	15 years, 197 days	Independent	—
5		Ras Abebe Aregai (1903–1960)	27 November 1957	17 December 1960†	3 years, 20 days	Independent	1957
–		Leul Ras Imru Haile Selassie (1892–1980) Acting^[b]	14 December 1960	17 December 1960	3 days	Independent	—
Vacant (17 December 1960 – 17 April 1961)
6		Tsehafi Taezaz Aklilu Habte-Wold (1912–1974)	17 April 1961	1 March 1974 (Resigned)	12 years, 318 days	Independent	1961 1965 1969 1973
7		Lij Endelkachew Makonnen (1927–1974)	1 March 1974	22 July 1974 (Imprisoned by the Derg)	143 days	Independent	—
Vacant (22 July 1974 – 3 August 1974)
8		Lij Mikael Imru (1929–2008)	3 August 1974	12 September 1974 (Deposed by the Derg)	40 days	Independent	—
• Derg (Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia) (1974–1987) •
Post Abolished (12 September 1974 – 10 September 1987)
• People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1987–1991) •
9		Fikre Selassie Wogderess (1945–2020)	10 September 1987	8 November 1989 (Dismissed^[2])	2 years, 59 days	WPE	1987
–		Hailu Yimenu (?–1991) Acting	8 November 1989	26 April 1991	1 year, 169 days	WPE	—
–		Tesfaye Dinka (1939–2016) Acting	26 April 1991	6 June 1991 (Deposed)	41 days	WPE	—
• Transitional Government of Ethiopia (1991–1995) •
–		Tamrat Layne (born 1955) Interim	6 June 1991	22 August 1995	4 years, 77 days	ANDM (EPRDF)	—
• Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1995–present) •
10		Meles Zenawi (1955–2012)	23 August 1995	20 August 2012†	16 years, 363 days	TPLF (EPRDF)	1995 2000 2005 2010
11		Hailemariam Desalegn (born 1965)	20 August 2012	2 April 2018	5 years, 225 days	SEPDM (EPRDF)	2015
12		Abiy Ahmed (born 1976)	2 April 2018	Incumbent	6 years, 220 days	ODP (EPRDF) Prosperity	2021

Timeline

Notes

^ From 2 April 1930, Emperor Haile Selassie.
^ In rebellion during the 1960 coup d'état attempt.

References

^ "Dr Abiy Ahmed sworn in as Prime Minister of Ethiopia". Fana Broadcasting. 1 April 2018. Archived from the original on 13 May 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
^ "Minutes of the 106th Regular Meeting of the Politburo," 5 November 1989, cited in Gebru Tareke, The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa (New Haven: Yale University, 2009), p. 143.

External links

World Statesmen – Ethiopia

[2] From 2 April 1930, Emperor Haile Selassie.

[3] In rebellion during the 1960 coup d'état attempt.

[16th-1] "Dr Abiy Ahmed sworn in as Prime Minister of Ethiopia". Fana Broadcasting. 1 April 2018. Archived from the original on 13 May 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.

[4] "Minutes of the 106th Regular Meeting of the Politburo," 5 November 1989, cited in Gebru Tareke, The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa (New Haven: Yale University, 2009), p. 143.

[1]

[a]

[b]

[2]