Chief of General Staff (Ethiopia)
| Chief of the General Staff of Ethiopian National Defense Force | |
|---|---|
| የኢትዮጵያ ጦር ኃይሎች ጠቅላይ ሹም | |
 | |
| Ministry of Defense | |
| Member of | National Security Council |
| Reports to | Ministry of Defense |
| Nominator | Prime Minister of Ethiopia |
| Appointer | President of Ethiopia |
The Chief of General Staff (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ጦር ኃይሎች ጠቅላይ ሹም, romanized: Ye’ītiyop’iya t’ori ḫayilochi t’ek’ilayi shumi) is the professional head of the Ethiopian National Defense Force. The chief is responsible for the administration and the operational control of the Ethiopian military. The current Chief of General Staff is Field marshal general Birhanu Jula who was appointed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on 4 November 2020 succeeding General Adem Mohammed.
List of chiefs
Ethiopian Empire (1941–1974)
| No. | Portrait | Chief of Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ? |
Major general Mulugeta Buli (1917–1960) |
November 1956 | 1958 | 1–2 years | Imperial Army | ||
| ? | Lieutenant General ' |
Imperial Army | |||||
| ? | Lieutenant General Haile Baykedagen |
Imperial Army | |||||
| ? | Lieutenant General Assefa Ayane |
Imperial Air Force | |||||
| ? | Lieutenant General Wolde Selassie Bereka |
3 July 1974 | Imperial Army | ||||
| ? |
Lieutenant General Aman Andom (1924–1974) |
3 July 1974 | 12 September 1974 | 66 days | Imperial Army |
Derg (1974–1987)
| No. | Portrait | Chief of Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Lieutenant General Aman Andom (1924–1974) |
12 September 1974 | 17 November 1978 † | 66 days | Army | ||
| 2 | Lt. General Moges Haile |
1976 | 1980 | 4–5 years | Air force | ||
| 3 |
Major General Merid Negussie (1924–1974) |
1980 | January 1981 | 0–1 years | Kebur Zabagna | ||
| ? |
Lt. General Addis Tedla |
1972 | ? | 1980 | Air force |
People's Democratic Republic (1987–1991)
| No. | Portrait | Chief of Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Major General Merid Negussie (1934–1989) |
22 February 1987 | 18 May 1989 † | 2 years, 85 days | Kebur Zabagna | ||
| 2 |
Lieutenant general Addis Tedla |
26 May 1989 | 28 May 1991 | 2 years, 2 days | Air force |
Federal Democratic Republic (1991–present)
| No. | Portrait | Chief of Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Lieutenant general Tsadkan Gebretensae |
28 May 1991 | 2001 | 9–10 years | ||
| 2 |
General Samora Yunis (born c. 1949) |
2001 | 7 June 2018 | 16–17 years | ||
| 3 |
General Seare Mekonen (?–2019) |
7 June 2018 | 22 June 2019 † | 1 year, 15 days | ||
| 4 |
General Adem Mohammed |
27 June 2019 | 4 November 2020 | 1 year, 130 days | ||
| 5 |
Field Marshal General Birhanu Jula |
4 November 2020 | Incumbent | 3 years, 82 days |
