Meet Sahle-Work Zewde, Ethiopia’s First Female President

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Ethiopia has appointed a woman to the position of president for the first time.

In a unanimous vote, Ethiopian lawmakers picked career diplomat Sahle-Work Zewde to replace Mulatu Teshome to the largely ceremonial post.

Sahel-Work had been Ethiopia’s ambassador to France, Djibouti, Senegal, and the regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Before her appointment she was the UN’s top official at the African Union.

As president, she is expected to serve two six-year terms.