MOGADISHU, Somalia

In a surprising move, Ethiopia's two houses of parliament elected Taye Atske Selassie as president on Monday, succeeding the country's first woman head of state, Sahle-Work Zewde, who hinted at his resignation in a social media post just two days ago.

Selassie's appointment was approved by lawmakers in Addis Ababa during a joint session of the House of Federation (upper house) and the House of Peoples' Representatives (lower house).

He has extensive experience in foreign affairs, having previously served as foreign minister and the country's permanent representative to the UN.

Selassie replaced Zewde, who had been in office since 2018, but had come under fire for her perceived silence on the ongoing conflicts in various parts of Ethiopia. She expressed her dissatisfaction with certain things on X over the weekend, which many interpreted as an indication of her potential resignation.

Selassie's appointment as the country's sixth president was unexpected. He was later sworn in as president, a largely ceremonial position in the country, and received the constitution from his predecessor Zewde.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also attended the opening session of parliament.

Late last month, the Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) vowed to continue "law enforcement operations" in Amhara alongside regional forces in an effort to quell the fighting that had been going on for over a year.