Ethiopia on Thursday appointed a woman to the largely ceremonial position of president for the first time. In a unanimous vote, Ethiopian lawmakers picked career diplomat Sahle-Work Zewde to replace Mulatu Teshome who resigned. Sahle-Work, who is in her late 60s, has been Ethiopia’s ambassador to France, Djibouti, Senegal and the regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Just prior to her appointment as president she was the UN’s top official at the African Union. She is fluent in English and French as well as Amharic. As president she is expected to serve two six-year terms. Political power in