After four months in the role, Shiferaw Shigute has resigned from his position as Chairperson of the Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement (SEPDM), a member party of the ruling coalition, because of recent unrest in that area of the country.
“It is my conviction that the movement has to elect new leader. But the main reason I decided to step down is the recent ethnic conflict in the region, which was catastrophic and really sad. I believe new blood is required to handle it,” he said at a press conference today.
The new SEPDM Chairperson is Muferihat Kamil, who has been federal parliament Speaker since April 25. Previously she was Minister of Research and Publicity for the Center of Democracy Building in the Prime Minister’s Office. In 2008, she moved from Silte Zonal Administration to become Minister of Women’s Affairs aged 32.
Deputy Chairperson Siraj Fegessa also resigned and was replaced by Million Mathews. Million will become Chief Administrator of Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Regional State instead of Dessie Dalke, according to The Reporter.
After being elected SEPDM chair on Feb. 25, Shiferaw was one of three candidates to become Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front Chairperson in the March 27 vote that led to Abiy Ahmed becoming Prime Minister. He replaced Hailemariam Desalegn, Shiferaw’s predecessor as head of SEPDM.
There were ethnic-related protests and deadly violence this month in the Sidama, Wolayta and Gurage zones in SNNPRS. Wolayta administrators resigned last week after a request from the reformist Prime Minister for local officials to take responsibility for the unrest.
Some protesters in Hawassa, the capital of Sidama Zone, repeated longstanding calls for Sidama to become a regional state during unrest in which more than 10 were killed and around 3,500 displaced, many of them ethnic Wolayta. Violence flared in Sidama back in 2001 with around 100 people killed by security forces.
“I am a supporter of the current reform. I have said in the past that fundamental change was needed. I am glad that is taking place now. For the change to successfully take place, a new administration has to come to the forefront. That is the aspiration of the society. I need to respect that,” Shiferaw said today.
Shiferaw, who is from Sidama, is Minister of Agriculture and Livestock and was Chief Administrator of SNNPRS from 2006 to 2013.
(Article updated 10:39 GMT, June 27)
Main photo: Shiferaw Shigute, the former chairperson of SEPDM. Credit: Ethiopian Herald
Shiferaw served the wrong cause (serving himself and Tplf) and was discarded once he could no longer be of use. Bigots never learn a lesson.
He had quite a free ride in those 16 or so years. A simple accountant in a regional office rises to become Minister of Education, Minister of … (for which he was not qualified or had any experience) and in the process hires himself out as a hit man to his benefactors. The days are dimming for his employers but his came quite fast. Sad indeed. Bravo for Ethiopia’s youth.