Aisha Mohamed is the new defense minister of Ethiopia

[Dahireeto]

Ethiopia's new cabinet is now a record 50 percent female, including the country's first woman defense minister, after lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously approved the nominations put forward by reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Five of the 20 cabinet members are Muslim, an underrepresented group that makes up a third of the country. That includes the new Defense Minister Aisha Mohammed Musa from the predominantly Muslim Afar region.

Another Muslim woman, former House speaker Muferiat Kamil, will lead the new Ministry of Peace at a time when Africa's second most populous country faces sometimes violent ethnic tensions as the wider political freedoms are explored.

"Our women ministers will disprove the old adage that women can't lead," Abiy said while presenting his choices. "This decision is the first in the history of Ethiopia and probably in Africa."

Ethiopia has faced sweeping political and economic reforms since the 42-year-old prime minister took office in April after months of anti-government protests and made pledges that include free and fair elections.

The Horn of Africa power joins a handful of countries, mostly European, where women make up 50 percent or more of ministerial positions, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union and U.N. Women. French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in recent years unveiled "gender-balanced" Cabinets.

Under Kamil's leadership, the Ministry of Peace will oversee the powerful National Intelligence and Security Service, the Information Network Security Agency, the Federal Police Commission and the Finance Security and Information Center, Abiy's office confirmed Tuesday.

This 20-member Cabinet, trimmed from 28 posts, is the second named since Abiy took office in April. The first was criticized for the low number of female ministers.

Another Muslim member of the cabinet is Finance Minister Ahmed Shide, who comes from the country's underrepresented Somali region. Minister of Health Amir Aman and Minister of Agriculture Omer Husen are also Muslims.

Ethiopia has long been considered a patriarchal society and it "suffers from some of lowest gender equality performance indicators in sub-Saharan Africa," U.N. Women has said. "Women and girls in Ethiopia are strongly disadvantaged compared to boys and men in several areas, including literacy, health, livelihoods and basic human rights."

Several African nations have had female defense ministers including South Africa, Central African Republic, Kenya and Guinea-Bissau. And Rwanda has received international recognition for female representation in government, with women making up 43 percent of its Cabinet and 61 percent of parliament members.

Recent efforts have been made in Ethiopia to show women in more prominent posts. Ethiopian Airlines, which calls itself Africa's largest carrier, has publicized all-female flight crews.

Separately, Ethiopian Airlines announced Tuesday it would start flying to the Somali capital Mogadishu on Nov. 2 for the first time in four decades.

"Our flights will quickly grow to multiple daily flights given the huge volume of traffic between the two sisterly countries and the significant traffic between Somalia and the rest of the world," the airline's CEO, Tewolde Gebremariam, was quoted as saying by Fana

[Dahireeto]

Muslim ministers include:

• Aisha Mohammed Musa
• Muferiat Kamil
• Ahmed Shide
• Amir Aman
• Omer Husen

Muslims are not less than 60% of Ethiopia's population, but they get only 25% of cabinet nominations. 

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

This guy abiye is trying his best he gave woman a lion share but him wollegey a  quarter gondere and quarter guji  galla madow. The guy Is not bad axmed shide the gurgure semigalla got the  finance position not bad. Maybe Ethiopia is changing one more xabasha we need to kill that's xamasien dictator. Masiixi alakbar.

[galbeedi]

When I saw the article say the Muslims to be a third, like you guys, I noticed the the omission.

Yet, This is a good move.

It is a re-election cabinet.  Affar, Somali and Oromo seem to be the biggest winners of the big portfolio like finance, foreign and defense. These are the regions Abiy Ahmed is expecting to gain votes unless Oromo king Jawar shows up and spoils the game.

[Dahireeto]

This is what is listed in Wikipedia for Ethiopia

Christianity (62.8%)
Islam (33.9%)
Traditional faiths (2.6%)
others (0.6%)

[Mourad1]

7 hours ago, Dahireeto said:

This is what is listed in Wikipedia for Ethiopia

Christianity (62.8%)
Islam (33.9%)
Traditional faiths (2.6%)
others (0.6%)

Wikipedia as a source. 

I have watched Ethiopia's and Tanzania's demographic pages on Wikipedia over the years. I have even checked up on a regualr basis sources that the contributors used in their writing. What I have noticed is that none of the sources are reliable. None of the sources are state-initiated. 

It is a fact that population demographics are highly controversial in these countries, especially data regarding religion. Therefore, Ethiopia and Tanzania will never conduct a state-wide census or even a credible estimation because of the potential political ramifications. However,  if look at religion in general in Ethiopia, I think that Christianity is boosted by Protestantism among the Gambella in Western Ethiopia and Pentecostalism around Addis Abeba. However, in a single category, I believe that Islam by far the largest religion in Ethiopia and I believe that future unreliable data to be published will confirm this. I think that past leaders have underrepresented the numbers of Muslims in order to have some legitimacy to rule the country. Abiy Ahmed will probably do the same in the future. 

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

That's fake Muslim are majority in Ethiopia  there are 13 million amhara Muslims alone the gallas are majority Muslim  the gurage are majority  Muslims  affars are Muslim  the Somalis are Muslims the tegaru are laangaab are majority Christian.  With the exception of the jabarti.who also live in medre baxre which is now Eritrea.

 

[galbeedi]

Here is my own math and percentage.

Oromo approximately are 40 million. 60%of Oromo are Muslim, 30% Christian and 10% traditional or animist.

60% Oromo Muslims is equal to  25 million

100% of Somalis are Muslim               7million

100%  of Afar are Muslim                    4 million

30 % of Amhara are Muslims              7 million

Sidamo and southern Muslims          6 million

Guraage   65% Muslims                      2.5 million

8% of Tigray are Muslims                0.5 million

Harari 100% Muslims                      0.25 million

Roughly it could total      53.2 million Muslims.

The last estimate of the Ethiopian population was just over 90 million. That means roughly : 57-58% of the population is Muslim.

 

 

[maakhiri1]

Good move

[Old_Observer]

On 10/17/2018 at 2:35 PM, Dahireeto said:

This is what is listed in Wikipedia for Ethiopia

Christianity (62.8%)
Islam (33.9%)
Traditional faiths (2.6%)
others (0.6%)

I think the share of Islam is much higher than that and the share of Traditional faiths is also higher than that. Christianity numbers are too high in this information.

 

[Old_Observer]

On 10/17/2018 at 12:27 AM, galbeedi said:

When I saw the article say the Muslims to be a third, like you guys, I noticed the the omission.

Yet, This is a good move.

It is a re-election cabinet.  Affar, Somali and Oromo seem to be the biggest winners of the big portfolio like finance, foreign and defense. These are the regions Abiy Ahmed is expecting to gain votes unless Oromo king Jawar shows up and spoils the game.

The Oromo are doing exactly what the Tigray used to do except with the Somali population. Things in Ethiopia over all and kiilka are still in yellow. Not clear yet.

Jawar side is the biggest winner, but still acting unhappy, wants more. He is big winner in Oromo kilil as well in charge of Security, Militia, Liyu...etc.

The Amhara are acting as biggest loser on this. It maybe true, since Tigray are acting neutral.

 

[galbeedi]

OO,

How Jawar is in charge of security in Liyu?

also, despite his win, Jawar won't be the leader of Oromo Kilil or prime minister, and that is why he acting as a loser.

By the way, is Ethiopia already broke?, what is about soldiers complaining about not being paid?

The prime minister said, " They were trying to kill me"

please explain.

[Old_Observer]

5 minutes ago, galbeedi said:

OO,

How Jawar is in charge of security in Liyu?

also, despite his win, Jawar won't be the leader of Oromo Kilil or prime minister, and that is why he acting as a loser.

By the way, is Ethiopia already broke?, what is about soldiers complaining about not being paid?

The prime minister said, " They were trying to kill me"

please explain.

Sorry its the Oromo Liyu they call Fetno.

Jawar cannot be a government official since he is American citizen. All Ethiopian politicians that came back, not a single one has been able to register a party or group, since all have foreign citizenship and is not allowed in Ethiopia. Of the 25-30 parties you see making noise only one was able to register. An Affar party since its leaders did not take foreign citizenship.

Ethiopia so far is staying afloat by UAE. The finances have actually improved. Inflation is very high and all that unemployed is still unemployed, very easy to change direction.

The incident with the soldiers might become bigger than what it was. The changing stories is looking very bad. There is one fact all the players know in Ethiopia. Even if somebody takes control of the capital they cannot bring regime change. KIlils are very strong. If there is coup will be end of the country.

On the other hand there are forces that will never come to power unless by coup, like Amhara for example.

The incident did not look like a coup. It may be for distraction news. Is being used to give Oromo even more. The PM mentioned Oromo groups that were ready to come and defend him. The Amhara are extremely unhappy with him not mentioning any Amhara areas.

The Oromo have big problem in their backyard. Very strong competition among themselves. Each group is still trying to find allies outside Oromo. That is why as you said trying to get support of Afar, Somali becoming important. Any Oromo group trying to Ally with Amhara cannot do it openly. Tigray are still relevant so each Oromo side including Jawar are very careful about them. 

Every group had dissatisfaction about ministers, but not a single group or even individuals would even remotely mention the Defense minister. She is the exception the surprise and most welcomed surprise. Many believe being an Afar she will have total welcome and support by Tigray generals and that means the Army will stay fairly united and disciplined somewhat less affected by different groups.

 

 

 

[galbeedi]

Who knows Jawar might join his old foes the TPLf.

[Old_Observer]

6 minutes ago, galbeedi said:

Who knows Jawar might join his old foes the TPLf.

It is looking that way every passing day. He tried to work with some Amhara groups, but what he got is total rejection and fear. Now the campaign against him is that mostly "he is Islamist inside". This is something the Tigray would not do no matter if they hated him to death and he looks like given up in finding any group that would work with him from the Amhara side.

Making the Afar defense minister rather than others have deeper reasons than it looks. Its more than her being woman, Muslim. Being a woman was shock to evreybody since we are conservative and backwards in many ways. That is common.

Being a Muslim is headache only to some. I have seen an activist say Samora just left after 17 years of total control and now comes a minister. Ethiopia is getting used to Islam in all places of power and influence.

For all sides of Somalis this was bad, but was expected. Finance minister is an Ethiopian from Somali kilil not a Somali in Ethiopia. That is the difference. But even worst was expected. Oil and Gas is bad news everywhere, kililka no exception.