Abiy Ahmed, the new Ethiopian Prime Minister (Courtesy)
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Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPDRF), the ruling party in Ethiopia has picked Abiy Ahmed, an Oromo, as the new prime minister to take over from Hailemariam Desalegn who resigned early February.
Abiy Ahmed was born in August 1976 in Agaro village in Jimma province. He grew up in multilingual and multi-religious family household, his father Ahmed Ali was a practicing Muslim Oromo while his mother was a Christian.he went to school in Jimma.
In 1991, Abiy joined the armed struggle against the communist Derg regime. following the collapse of the Mengistu regime, he took formal military training in Assefa Brigade in West Wollega, hi studied intelligence and communications courses in the military.
Abiy received his first degree in Computer Engineering from Microlink information technology College in Addis Ababa in 2001 while still serving in the military. In 2005, Abiy completed his post graduate advanced diploma in Cryptology, Machine Dynamics in Pretoria, South Africa.
He completed his PHD in 2017 from the Institute of Peace and Security Studies at Addis Ababa Unibersity.
The new Prime Minister is multilingual and speaks Afan Oromo, Amharic, Tigrinya and English. he is fitness aficionado and professes physical health that goes hand in hand with mental health and as such frequents physical and gym activities in Addis Ababa.
Abiy Ahmed will be the first Oromo and Muslim Prime Minister in Ethiopia’s over 3000 year history.
Can abiy Ahmed solve and pacify the ongoing Oromo protests raging in Ethiopia?