The Ministry of National Defense of Ethiopia is a cabinet level office in charge of defense related matters of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. It oversees the Ethiopian National Defense Force and Ethiopian Defense Industry

Defense Industry Sector (Ethiopia)

The Ethiopian Defense Industry sector is an office under the Ministry of Defense responsible for administering several defense industries. Its objective is to provide for and support the Ethiopian National Defense Force.-History:...

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This institution can trace its origins back to the Ministry of War, which Emperor Menelik II established in 1907, and made Fitawrari Habte Giyorgis

Habte Giyorgis

Fitawrari Habte Giorgis Dinagde was the Ethiopian Minister of War during the reigns of Menelik II, Iyasu V, Zauditu and Haile Selassie . He is from the Oromo people of Ethiopia and played a leading role in several battles...

 Minister over it. Emperor Haile Selassie re-established the Ministry of War in 1942, making Ras Abebe Aregai

Abebe Aregai

Ras Abebe Aregai was Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 27 November 1957 until his death. During the Italian occupation, he led a group of resistance fighters that operated in Menz and Shewa...

 its Minister.

The Ministry is headed by a civilian minister which is a requirement of Article 87 of the current constitution of Ethiopia

1995 Constitution of Ethiopia

The current Constitution of Ethiopia, which is the supreme law of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia, was adopted by the Transitional Government of Ethiopia in December 1994 and came into force in August 1995. The constitution was drawn up by the Constituent Assembly elected in June of that year.The...

. It was established 23 August 1995 with the passing of Proclamation 4/1995, which also established the other 14 Ministries. The current Minister is Siraj Fergessa

Siraj Fergessa

Siraj Fegessa is Minister of Defense of Ethiopia. He is a Muslim, a member of the Silte people, as well as a member of the South Ethiopian Peoples' Democratic Front, which is part of the ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front.From 2006 until his appointment as...

, the former Minister of Federal Affairs, who was appointed 30 October 2008 to replace Kuma Demeksa

Kuma Demeksa

Kuma Demeksa is an Ethiopian politician. Since 30 October 2008 he has been mayor of Addis Ababa; previous positions include President of the Oromia Region , and Minister of Defense...

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