A joint federal and regional law enforcement forum in Bahir Dar capital of the Amhara region on 29 October attended byAbiy and his deputy Demeke Mekonnen called for an 'all-out civil war'...
Most previous holders of the key portfolios remain in place including Demeke Mekonnen who has kept his positions of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs (AC Vol 62 No 16 Addis tries to rewrite the script)...
DISPATCHES
Finance minister Ahmed Shide overseeing the delayed telecoms and financial sector liberalisation will keep his job as Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen who has struggled to deflect international criticism of the war in Tigray...
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But Brigadier General Abraha Kassa Director of National Security in Eritrea and his colleague Colonel Gaim Tesfamichael strongly oppose any contacts with the TDF a stance shared by Abiy and his deputy Demeke Mekonnen a top Amhara official...
Demeke Mekonnen Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister gave a panicky briefing to select Western diplomats the next day a precursor to the federal forces' questionable offer of a 'humanitarian ceasefire' as it fled Tigray...
Yet this faux pas was certainly signed off by the Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen who is also Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's deputy...
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And days after fighting began in Tigray Abiy increased the power of leading Amhara figures in government by adding the post of Foreign Minister to Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen's portfolio moving Gedu Andargachew from foreign affairs to the post of National Security Advisor and appointing former National Security Advisor and Amhara President Temesgen Tiruneh as intelligence chief...
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Abiy's plenipotentiaries to persuade neighbouring countries of the rightness of his cause include: Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen now also Foreign Minister who has visited Uganda and Kenya; former Foreign Minister now National Security Adviser Gedu Andargachew who went to Djibouti; and President Sahle-Work Zewde herself who attempted to bring round Khartoum...
Abiy appointed Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen foreign minister and moved Gedu Andargachew from foreign affairs to National Security Advisor...
He replaces Demeke Mekonnen the ANDM's leader who had only been in the job for six months (AC Vol 59 No 7 Abiy makes a promising start)...