Demeke Mekonnen, Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister, with a tenure spanning over 11 years across three consecutive prime ministers, is set to be succeeded by Temesgen Tiruneh, the current head of the intelligence agency, according to a statement from a senior government official reported by Reuters on Friday.
As per information from state-controlled media, Temesgen Tiruneh has been elected as the new vice president within the governing Prosperity Party. The typical convention is that the vice president of the party takes on the role of deputy prime minister.
Demeke Mekonnen has symbolized stability amidst the upheavals in Ethiopian politics. His appointment to the position followed the passing of longstanding Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in 2012, and he successfully navigated through a restructuring of the ruling party following Abiy Ahmed’s assumption of power in 2018.
Temesgen Tiruneh, serving as the head of the national intelligence service, has overseen the government’s management of a conflict that erupted last year in the Amhara region involving local militias.
In addition to the turmoil in Amhara, the protracted conflict in the Oromiya region, Ethiopia’s largest, has escalated over recent years, resulting in the loss of hundreds of lives and the displacement of tens of thousands.