Sahle-Work Zewde served as the President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from October 2018 to October 2024. She was succeeded by veteran diplomat Taye Atske-Selassie Amde during the opening ceremony of the 2024/2025 parliamentary session.

Prior to her presidency, Sahle-Work was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres as Special Representative to the African Union and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU) at the Under-Secretary-General level on July 27, 2018. She was the first woman to hold this position.

With a diplomatic career spanning over 30 years, she served as Ethiopia’s ambassador to France, Djibouti, Senegal, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

During her tenure as president, Ethiopia saw the formation of new regional states, including Central Ethiopia, Sidama, South Ethiopia, and South West Ethiopia. However, her presidency was also marked by civil conflicts in Tigray, Amhara, and Oromia.

Following her resignation, Sahle-Work took on a new role within the African Union (AU) as Head of the AU Observer Mission for the Ghanaian elections held on December 7, 2024. She was appointed to lead the team by Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission.

Sahle-Work Zewde holds a degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Montpellier, France.