Ethiopia’s federal parliament has appointed the director general of the country’s intelligence service as deputy prime minister to replace Demeke Mekonnen who was relieved of the post last month, state television said on Thursday.
Temesgen Tiruneh has been the country’s spy chief since 2020 and is reported to be a close associate of prime minister Abiy Ahmed.
He now not only replaces Demeke as the deputy prime minister but also becomes the second in command of the ruling Prosperity Party.
Last year, Temesgen was put in charge of a military command post that oversaw a state of emergency in the northern Amhara region amid clashes between government forces and ethnic Amhara rebels.
The new deputy prime of Ethiopia, who is an ethnic Amhara, rose to national prominence in 2019 when he was appointed as the head of the regional state administration following the death of then regional president Ambachew Mekonnen.
Temesgen has also previously served as a security adviser to prime minister Abiy Ahmed.
Demeke Mekonnen was deputy prime minister since 2012 and minister of foreign affairs since 2020.
His departure from government was announced following a Prosperity Party meeting in January.
Parliament on Thursday also appointed Taye Atske Selassie as the new foreign affairs minister.
Taye was previously Ethiopia’s permanent representative to the United Nations.
