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 edit

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Party
(Coalition)
Elected
Took office Left office Time in office
 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 5 years, 361 days ODP
(EPRDF)
Prosperity
2021

Timeline edit

Abiy AhmedHailemariam DesalegnMeles ZenawiTamrat LayneTesfaye DinkaHailu YimenuFikre Selassie WogderessMikael ImruEndelkachew MakonnenAklilu Habte-WoldImru Haile SelassieAbebe AregaiMakonnen EndelkachewHaile SelassieHabte Giyorgis Dinagde

See also edit

Notes edit

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

References edit

  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.
  2. ^ "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 edit