Political Leaders: Ethiopia

Leaders of Ethiopia
(Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia)

[To the list of countries]
[To the ZPC Homepage]

Look for biographies of the leaders (in Spanish) at CIDOB website.

Parties: ADP: Amhara Democratic Party (f. 1982, called Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement, EPRDF, to 30 Sep 2018) EPRDF: Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (f. 1988, made by TPLF, ODP, ADP and SEPDM) EWP: Ethiopian Workers' Party (1984-1991) ODP: Oromo Democratic Party (f. 1982, called Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization, OPDO, to 20 Sep 2018) SEPDM: Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement (f. 1992) TPLF: Tigray People's Liberation Front (f. 1975)

Heads of State

Emperor (Negus)
Haile Selassie I             3 Apr 1930 - 12 Sep 1974 (†1975) (1)

Chairmen of the Provisional Military Administration Council  
Aman Mikael Andom           12 Sep 1974 - 17 Nov 1974 (†1974) military (2)
Mengistu Haile Mariam       17 Nov 1974 - 28 Nov 1974         military (2)
Tafari Benti                28 Nov 1974 -  3 Feb 1977 (†1977) military (2)
Mengistu Haile Mariam       11 Feb 1977 - 10 Sep 1987         military/EWP

Presidents of the Republic
Mengistu Haile Mariam       10 Sep 1987 - 21 May 1991         EWP
Tesfaye Gebre Kidan         21 May 1991 - 27 May 1991 (†2004) EWP (acting)

President of the Provisional Government 
Meles Zenawi                27 May 1991 - 22 Aug 1995 (†2012) TPLF/EPRDF (interim) (3)

Presidents of the Republic
Negaso Gidada               22 Aug 1995 -  8 Oct 2001         OPDO/EPRDF
Girma Wolde-Giyorgis Lucha   8 Oct 2001 -  7 Oct 2013 (†2018) EPRDF
Mulatu Teshome Wirtu         8 Oct 2013 - 25 Oct 2018         OPDO/EPRDF
Sahle-Work Zewde            25 Oct 2018 -                     n/p

(1) Ruler in exile during the Italian occupation, from May 1936 to 18 Jan 1941.
(2) Nominally heads of State for King Asfa Wossen Haile Selassie (son of Negus Haile Selassie I, crowned in 1989 in exile as Amha Selassie I), who did not assume this office from 12 Sep 1974 to the abolition of the monarchy on 21 Mar 1975.
(3) Prime minister acting as interim president. To 23 Jul 1991, Meles Zenawi ruled as chairman of the Supreme Council of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).

Prime Ministers

Makonnen Endelkacew                1942 -  1 Nov 1957 (†1963) n/p          
Abebe Aragai                27 Nov 1957 - 15 Dec 1960 (†1960) n/p
Teshafi Aklilu Abte-Wold    17 Apr 1961 -  1 Mar 1974 (†1974) n/p
Endelkacew Makonnen          1 Mar 1974 - 22 Jul 1974 (†1974) n/p
Mikael Imru                  3 Aug 1974 - 12 Sep 1974 (†2008) n/p
Fikre Selassie Wogderess    10 Sep 1987 -  8 Nov 1989         EWP 
Haile Yimenu                 8 Nov 1989 - 26 Apr 1991 (†1991) EWP (acting)
Tesfaye Dinka               26 Apr 1991 -  6 Jun 1991 (†2016) EWP (acting)
Tamirat Layne                6 Jun 1991 - 22 Aug 1995         EPDM (acting to 29 Jul 1991)
Meles Zenawi                22 Aug 1995 - 20 Aug 2012 (†2012) TPLF/EPRDF
Hailemariam Desalegn        20 Aug 2012 -  2 Apr 2018         SEPDM/EPRDF (acting to 21 Sep 2012, caretaker from 15 Feb 2018)
Abiy Ahmed Ali               2 Apr 2018 -                     ODP/EPRDF

Chairmen of EPRDF

Meles Zenawi                1988-2012 (†2012) TPLF
Hailemariam Desalegn        2012-2018         SEPDM
Abiy Ahmed Ali              2018-             ODP