ADDIS ABABA Ethiopia's Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn swore in a group of technocrats and new finance and foreign ministers on Tuesday in a reshuffle meant to respond to grievances behind six months of violent protests. The reshuffle swapped out half of his 30-member cabinet and brought in technocrats to take over important portfolios including trade, health, water and electricity, farming and the environment. Hailemariam, 51, promoted former state minister of finance Abraham Tekeste to finance minister to take over from Abdulaziz Mohammed, whose stint lasted just over a year. Workineh Gebeyehu, a former transport minister, was appointed foreign minister to replace Tedros Adhanom, who is campaigning to lead the World Health Organization (WHO). Ethiopian and foreign rights groups say at least 500 people have been killed in violence triggered by protests in the Oromiya region.

Source: Ethiopian News November 01, 2016 13:52 UTC