ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia’s parliament approved Sahle-Work Zewde as the country’s new president, the first woman to hold the post.

Sahle-Work is at present U.N. under secretary general and special representative of the secretary general to the African Union. She replaces Mulatu Teshome Wirtu, who tendered his resignation to parliament earlier on Wednesday.

Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Robin Pomeroy