Members of the Ethiopian parliament has elected Sahle-Work Zewde as the new and first female president in the country.
Her election comes after the unexpected resignation of her predecessor, Mulatu Teshome. It also comes after Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed appointed a cabinet with half the posts taken by women.
President Sahle-Work during her acceptance speech spoke about the importance of maintaining peace, local media said.
Prior to her election as president, Sahle-Work was a diplomat who held a position with the United Nations recently.
She was an ambassador for Ethiopia in Senegal and Djibouti and also held a number of UN positions, including head of peace-building in the Central African Republic (CAR).
Her last appointment before becoming president, she was the UN representative at the African Union.
The Ethiopian constitution holds that the post of president is ceremonial with the prime minister holding the political power.