Mulatu Teshome

Mulatu Teshome
Name	Mulatu Teshome
Office	President of Ethiopia
Term start	7 October 2013
Term end	25 October 2018
Predecessor	Girma Wolde-Giorgis
Successor	Sahle-Work Zewde
Birth date	1955
Birth place	Arsi Zone, Ethiopia
Alma mater	Peking University, University of Amsterdam

Mulatu Teshome is an Ethiopian politician, diplomat, and academic who served as President of Ethiopia from 2013 to 2018. A career diplomat and scholar, he held ambassadorial postings to China, Japan, and Turkey, and represented Ethiopia at international organizations including the United Nations and the African Union. His presidency intersected with administrations of Hailemariam Desalegn and Abiy Ahmed, and his tenure addressed regional issues involving Eritrea, Somalia, and Sudan.

Early life and education

Mulatu was born in the Arsi Zone of Oromia Region in Ethiopia. He pursued higher education abroad, studying at Peking University in the People's Republic of China where he engaged with scholars linked to the Chinese Communist Party and comparative studies of Deng Xiaoping era reforms. He later earned graduate degrees from the University of Amsterdam and conducted research connected to institutions such as the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael and the Institute of Development Studies.

Academic and diplomatic career

Mulatu combined scholarship with diplomacy, publishing work on development policy and international relations while serving in Ethiopian diplomatic missions. His postings included ambassador to China, ambassador to Japan, and ambassador to Turkey, where he engaged with envoys from United States, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. He served as a representative to multilateral organizations including the United Nations, the African Union, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). During his career he interacted with figures such as Wen Jiabao, Yukio Hatoyama, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Ban Ki-moon, and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma while negotiating bilateral agreements on trade, investment, and infrastructure linking to initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative and regional partnerships with Kenya and Djibouti.

Political career and presidency

Mulatu entered higher politics when elected by the House of Peoples' Representatives as President of Ethiopia on 7 October 2013, succeeding Girma Wolde-Giorgis. His presidency was largely ceremonial under the constitutional framework shaped after the 1995 Constitution of Ethiopia and during administrations led by Meles Zenawi's successor politicians in the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). He worked with prime ministers including Hailemariam Desalegn and later Abiy Ahmed during the period of political reform and the state of emergency declared after unrest in the Amhara Region and Oromia Region. He presided over formal functions involving state ceremonies, legislative inaugurations, and constitutional tasks related to appointments and pardons as provided by the House of Federation and Constitutional Commission processes.

Domestic policies and initiatives

Although the presidency in Ethiopia is constitutionally ceremonial, Mulatu used his platform to advocate publicly on issues such as economic transformation, federalism, and reconciliation. He supported initiatives linked to the Growth and Transformation Plan and public investment projects financed through partnerships with China Development Bank, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund. He spoke about regional development projects involving railways to Djibouti, the Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway, and urban expansion in Addis Ababa. He addressed tensions arising from land administration disputes, federal-state relations involving the Oromia Regional State and Amhara Regional State, and national dialogues influenced by activists from movements like the Qeerroo and political parties including the Opposition Coalition (Ethiopia).

Foreign relations and international engagement

Mulatu's foreign engagement drew on his diplomatic background, prioritizing ties with China, Japan, Turkey, United States, European Union, and regional neighbors Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan. He represented Ethiopia in state visits and hosted leaders such as Xi Jinping, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and envoys from the African Union and United Nations. During his term Ethiopia navigated shifting regional dynamics including the Eritrea–Ethiopia relations thaw culminating after the Eritrea–Ethiopia Peace Agreement, peacekeeping commitments to Somalia through the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), and cross-border diplomacy with Sudan over refugees and security. He engaged with multilateral lenders and investors like the African Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and international corporations investing in sectors such as energy, telecommunications, and transport.

Personal life and legacy

Mulatu is known for his academic publications and linguistic skills acquired through postings in Beijing, Tokyo, and Ankara. His presidency is viewed in relation to the constitutional role of the office established after the Derg era and the Transitional Government of Ethiopia (1991–1995). Analysts compare his tenure to predecessors including Girma Wolde-Giorgis and successor Sahle-Work Zewde when assessing ceremonial leadership, diplomatic outreach, and the presidency's symbolic role during the political liberalization under Abiy Ahmed. His legacy includes contributions to diplomatic capacity building in Ethiopia and public advocacy for infrastructure and regional integration.

Category:Presidents of Ethiopia Category:Ethiopian diplomats Category:1955 births Category:Living people