Hailemariam Desalegn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hailemariam Desalegn
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ኀይለማሪያም ደሳለኝ
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Hailemariam in 2011
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| Prime Minister of Ethiopia | |
| In office 20 August 2012 – 2 April 2018 Acting: 20 August 2012 – 21 September 2012 Caretaker: 11 March 2018 – 2 April 2018 |
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| President | Girma Wolde-Giorgis Mulatu Teshome |
| Preceded by | Meles Zenawi |
| Succeeded by | Abiy Ahmed |
| 2nd Chairman of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front | |
| In office 16 September 2012 – 15 February 2018 |
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| Deputy | Demeke Mekonnen |
| Preceded by | Meles Zenawi |
| Succeeded by | Abiy Ahmed |
| 11th Chairperson of the African Union | |
| In office 27 January 2013 – 30 January 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Yayi Boni |
| Succeeded by | Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia | |
| In office 1 September 2010 – 21 September 2012 |
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| Prime Minister | Meles Zenawi |
| Preceded by | Addisu Legese |
| Succeeded by | Demeke Mekonnen Debretsion Gebremichael Muktar Kedir |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 1 September 2010 – 21 September 2012 |
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| Prime Minister | Meles Zenawi |
| Preceded by | Seyoum Mesfin |
| Succeeded by | Tedros Adhanom |
| President of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region | |
| In office 12 November 2001 – March 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Abate Kisho |
| Succeeded by | Shiferaw Shigute |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 July 1965 Boloso Sore, South Ethiopia Regional State, Ethiopian Empire |
| Political party | Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement |
| Other political affiliations |
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front |
| Spouse | Roman Tesfaye |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | Addis Ababa University Arba Minch University Tampere University of Technology Azusa Pacific University |
Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe (Amharic: ኀይለማሪያም ደሳለኝ ቦሼ; born 19 July 1965) is an Ethiopian politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 2012 to 2018. Before that, he was the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He worked under Prime Minister Meles Zenawi from 2010 to 2012.
After Meles Zenawi passed away in August 2012, Hailemariam became the acting Prime Minister. He was then chosen as the leader of the EPRDF. This was Ethiopia's main ruling party. Hailemariam also led the African Union from 2013 to 2014.
He decided to step down as Prime Minister and party leader on 15 February 2018. This was because of big protests and unrest that happened in 2016. His resignation was accepted on 11 March 2018. He stayed in office as a caretaker leader until 2 April 2018. Hailemariam was the first modern Ethiopian leader to resign. Previous leaders either died in office or were removed. He said he wanted to help bring about new changes for the country.
Contents
About Hailemariam Desalegn
Early Life and Background
Hailemariam was born in 1965 in a place called Hombba, in the Boloso Sore District. This area is in the Wolayita Zone of southern Ethiopia. He belongs to the Wolayta ethnic group. This group is the largest in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People's Region (SNNPR). His family is part of the Apostolic Church of Ethiopia. He is married to Roman Tesfaye and is known as a religious and family-focused person.
Education and Studies
Hailemariam studied civil engineering at Addis Ababa University. He earned his first degree in 1988. After that, he worked at the Arba Minch Water Technology Institute. This is now called Arba Minch University.
He then received a scholarship to study in Finland. At Tampere University of Technology, he earned a master's degree in sanitation engineering. When he returned to Ethiopia, he worked in different roles at the Water Technology Institute for 13 years. He even became the dean of the institute. In 2006, he also earned another master's degree in Organizational Leadership. This was from Azusa Pacific University in the US.
Hailemariam's Political Journey
Joining the EPRDF Party
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In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Hailemariam became very involved in politics. He joined the EPRDF, which was Ethiopia's ruling party. He became the deputy president of the SNNPR. He took over from Abate Kisho, who was removed from his position.
Leading the Southern Nations Region
Hailemariam served as the President of the SNNPR from November 2001 to March 2006. In October 2010, he was promoted to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. He also held important roles within the EPRDF party. He was the Deputy Chairman of the EPRDF and Chairman of the SEPDM.
After being President of the SNNPR, Hailemariam worked as an advisor in the Prime Minister's Office. He helped create a law about charities and societies. This law limited how much international groups could get involved in local politics. He also helped the EPRDF party grow its membership a lot before the 2010 elections. In 2010, he took on two big jobs: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Becoming Prime Minister of Ethiopia
Appointment to the Top Job
When Ethiopia's long-time Prime Minister Meles Zenawi died in August 2012, Hailemariam, as Deputy Prime Minister, became the acting leader. He officially became the Prime Minister on 21 September 2012.
The President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, met with Hailemariam. He said that Hailemariam clearly wanted to make Ethiopia's democracy stronger. He also wanted to allow more different ideas and a freer society.
Working with Somalia
In February 2014, Hailemariam met with leaders from Somalia in Addis Ababa. They talked about making the relationship between the two countries stronger. Hailemariam promised that Ethiopia would keep supporting peace efforts in Somalia. He also offered to help train Somalia's security forces.
He suggested that Ethiopia and Somalia should trade more and invest in each other. Hailemariam said that the growing ties between the two nations were a new beginning. It meant they would work together for mutual stability. Somalia's Prime Minister, Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, thanked Ethiopia for its help. He also welcomed the Ethiopian military joining AMISOM, a peacekeeping mission. They signed agreements to work together on police, information, and aviation.
Economic Growth and Development
Hailemariam Desalegn helped Ethiopia continue its strong economic growth after 2012. He made sure that big development plans, like the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP I), were finished. He also started the next phase, GTP II.
During his time as Prime Minister (2012-2018), many large projects were completed. These included industrial parks in Hawassa and Mekelle. The Addis Ababa Light Rail and the Gilgel Gibe III Dam were also finished. A new railway connecting Addis Ababa to Djibouti was built. New stadiums in Bahir Dar, Mekelle, and Hawassa were also completed. Hailemariam is recognized for the country's continued fast economic growth.
Hailemariam also worked with Kenya on a huge project called the Lamu Port Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor. This project includes a railway, highways, and an oil pipeline. It will give Ethiopia, which is landlocked, a new way to export goods. He also partnered with Djibouti to build a $1.55 billion fuel pipeline. This pipeline transports fuel from Djibouti's port to central Ethiopia.
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Hailemariam continued with other big projects, like the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. This dam was started by his predecessor, Meles Zenawi. His government also received its first credit ratings from global agencies in 2014. This helped Ethiopia get more international investments. A lot of this investment came from China. China provided loans and grants for big projects like roads, bridges, and railways.
Why Hailemariam Resigned
On 14 February 2018, Hailemariam Desalegn announced his resignation. He stepped down as Prime Minister and chairman of the EPRDF. This made him the first leader in Ethiopia's recent history to resign. He said that resigning was "vital" for reforms that would bring lasting peace and democracy. This decision was linked to the unrest that happened in the Oromia and Amhara regions between 2014 and 2016. Hundreds of people died during government crackdowns in these areas.
Hailemariam's announcement came during a time of political trouble and ongoing unrest in Ethiopia. The government had been releasing thousands of political prisoners to try and calm things down.
He said that "unrest and a political crisis have led to the loss of lives and displacement of many." However, he stayed on as Prime Minister in a caretaker role. This was until the EPRDF and the country's parliament accepted his resignation. Abiy Ahmed was then chosen as the new Prime Minister on 2 April.
Other Roles and Memberships
Hailemariam is a member of the boards of several international organizations. These include the International Crisis Group and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. He also founded and chairs the Hailemariam and Roman Foundation. He has been a Member of Parliament for 21 years.
See also
In Spanish: Hailemariam Desalegne para niños
- List of heads of government of Ethiopia
- 2016 Ethiopian protests
