| Ministry of Defense | |
| Native Name: | Amharic: የመከላከያ ሚኒስቴር Oromo: Ministeera Raayyaa Ittisa Biyyaa (Itoophiyaa) |
| Current Form: | 1907 |
| Jurisdiction: | Government of Ethiopia |
| Headquarters: | Addis Ababa |
| Chief1 Name: | Aisha Mohammed |
| Chief1 Position: | Minister of Defence |
| Chief2 Name: | Field Marshal Birhanu Jula |
| Chief2 Position: | Chief of the General Staff |
| Child1 Agency: | Defense Industry Sector |
The Ministry of Defense is a cabinet-level office in charge of defense-related matters of Ethiopia. It oversees the Ethiopian National Defense Force and Ethiopian Defense Industry. The current minister is Aisha Mohammed since 2024.[1]
This institution can trace its origins back to the Ministry of War, which Emperor Menelik II established in 1907, and made Fitawrari Habte Giyorgis Minister over it.[2] Emperor Haile Selassie re-established the Ministry of War in 1942, making Ras Abebe Aregai its Minister. The Ministry is headed by a civilian minister which is a requirement of Article 87 of the current constitution of Ethiopia. It was established 23 August 1995 with the passing of Proclamation 4/1995, which also established the other 14 Ministries.[3]
On 9 January 2022, a new building of the Ministry of Defense was inaugurated. The five floor building of more than 700 offices and facilities serves now as the headquarters of the ministry, and is located on 13 hectares of land in Addis Ababa.[4] [5]
See main article: Defense Industry Sector (Ethiopia).
Defense Engineering College was established in 1997 by the Ethiopian Ministry of Defense (MoD) to produce highly professional educational services.[7]
| Portrait | Name | Term of office | Political party | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| 1 | Habte Giyorgis | 1907 | 1926 | 19 years | Independent | ||||
| 2 | Mulugeta Yeggazu | 1926 | 1936 | 10 years | Independent | ||||
| 3 | Birru Walda Gabriel | 1936 | 1942 | 6 years | Independent | ||||
| 4 | Abiye Abebe | 1943 | 1947 | 4 years | Independent | ||||
| 5 | Abebe Aregai | 1947 | 1949 | 2 years | Independent | ||||
| Abiye Abebe | 1949 | 1955 | 6 years | Independent | |||||
| Abebe Aregai | 1955 | 17 December 1960 | 5 years | Independent | |||||
| Lieutenant GeneralMerid Mengesha | 17 December 1960 | 1966 | 6 years | Independent | [8] [9] [10] | ||||
| Lieutenant GeneralKebede Gebre | 1966 | 28 February 1974 | 8 years | Independent | [11] [12] | ||||
| Abiye Abebe | 28 February 1974 | 22 July 1974 | 4 months | Independent | |||||
| Portrait | Name | Term of office | Political party | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| 1 | Major GeneralAman Andom | 22 July 1974 | 17 November 1974 | 4 years | Workers' Party of Ethiopia | ||||
| 2 | AmbassadorAyelew Mandefro | 6 December 1974 | 19 September 1977 | [13] | |||||
| 3 | Brigadier General Taye Tilahun | 19 September 1977 | January 1980 | ||||||
| 4 | Lieutenant General Tesfaye Gebre Kidan | January 1980 | 14 May 1988 | 7 years | Workers' Party of Ethiopia | [14] [15] | |||
| 5 | Major General Haile Giorgis Habte Mariam | 14 May 1988 | 16 May 1989 | 1 year | Workers' Party of Ethiopia | [16] | |||
| Portrait | Name | Term of office | Political party | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||||
| Siye Abraha | 1991 | 1995 | 4 years | |||||
| Tamrat Layne | 1995 | ? | [17] | |||||
| Abadula Gemeda | 16 October 2001 | 2005 | years | Oromo Democratic Party | ||||
| Kuma Demeksa | 2005 | 30 October 2008 | years | Oromo Democratic Party | ||||
| Siraj Fegessa | 30 October 2008 | 16 October 2018 | SEPDM | |||||
| Aisha Mohammed | 16 October 2018 | 18 April 2019 | ARDUF | |||||
| Lemma Megersa | 18 April 2019 | 18 August 2020 | Oromo Democratic Party | |||||
| Kenea Yadeta | 18 August 2020 | 6 October 2021 | Independent | |||||
| Abraham Belay | 6 October 2021 | 20 May 2024 | Prosperity Party | |||||
| Aisha Mohammed | 20 May 2024 | Incumbent | ARDUF | |||||