![[Ethiopia] Abebe Aemro Selassie appointed IMF Africa department director](Abebe.jpg)
[Ethiopia] Abebe Aemro Selassie appointed IMF Africa department director
Ethiopian Abebe Aemro Selassie has been appointed the director of IMF African department.
Mr. Abe succeeds Antoinette Sayeh and has been praised by the institution for bringing extensive operational and policy experience from his assignments in various IMF departments.
"Abe brings a profound understanding of the challenges facing Africa, having worked closely with policymakers from across the region for much of his career," the release quoted Christine Lagarde the Managing Director of IMF as saying.
Abebe's proven intellectual leadership, track record of building collaborative relationships, analytical depth and warm collegiality make him ideally placed to lead the IMF's work, she added.
Abebe most recently oversaw the IMF's effort to assist the three Ebola-stricken countries.
The statement further said that he worked in the IMF African Department as senior resident representative in Uganda , served as mission chief for South Africa, led work on the regional Economic Outlook, and worked in various roles on countries ranging from Cote D'Ivoire, Ghana, and Kenya to Burkina Faso , Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
"The IMF remains deeply committed to serving our members in Africa. Abe will bring a unique blend of extensive knowledge and experience to his new position as Director of the African Department," Lagarde said.
Before joining the IMF, Abebe worked for the Economist Intelligence Unit, specializing in sovereign credit risk issues, and then for the Ethiopian government as Principal Economist in the Office of the President, it was learned.
He holds a B.A. in Economics from City of London Polytechnic and a Masters in Economic History from London School of Economics.
