| Shimelis Abdisa | |
| Term Start: | 18 April 2019 |
| Primeminister: | Abiy Ahmed |
| Predecessor: | Lemma Megersa |
| Birth Place: | Ginchi, Ethiopia |
| Party: | Prosperity Party |
| Alma Mater: | Addis Ababa University |
| Office1: | Chief of Staff of Prime Minister of Ethiopia |
| Term Start1: | 5 November 2018 |
| Predecessor1: | Fitsum Arega |
Shimelis Abdisa (Oromo: Shimallis Abdiisaa; Amharic: ሽመልስ አብዲሳ) is an Ethiopian politician serving as the president of the Oromia Region since 18 April 2019.[1] [2] He is also Chief Staff of the Prime Minister since 2018.
According to Reuters, he is the leader of Koree Nageenyaa, a secret service that commits unlawful detentions and extrajudicial killings in Oromia Region.[3] [4] [5]
In August 2020, an audio of Shimelis was leaked by Zemedkun Bekele an Ethiopian YouTuber and activist living in Germany. The audio was recorded in the secret meeting in which Shimelis Abdisa talked his belief of the prosperity party's goal is shaping Ethiopia with Oromo culture at the expense of the rest of Ethiopian ethnicities.[6] [7] [8]
Shimelis Abdisa was born near Ambo, West Shewa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Before appointed as President of Oromia Region, he has served in various roles including chief of staff of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. For instance, he served as Head of the Office of the Prime Minister replacing Fitsum Arega in November 2018, who had served as Ambassador of Ethiopia to US. On 18 April 2019, the Oromia Regional State Council appointed Shimelis as the president of the Oromia Region, preceded by Lemma Megersa. The Oromia Broadcasting Network called the election to replace Lemma Megersa.[9] [10] Since Shimelis took office, the Irrechaa celebrations, returned to Addis Ababa for the first time in 150[11] years on 4 October 2019. During emergency meeting by Holy Synod of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church on 5 September 2019, Shimelis vowed to protect the Church.[12] The Ireecha was held on 4 October 2019 through towns in Oromia Region as well as Addis Ababa. Shimelis made controversial speech which recalled the oppression of Oromo people by neftegna system during Ethiopian Empire rule. Many people in social media criticized Shemelis speech whereas the Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice stated that the Oromo Democratic Party (ODP) used the festival for politically motivated agenda.[13] In 2022, the head of Amhara Association of America call Shemelis to resign from office as a result of growing persecution of Amhara people in Wollega.[14]