Regina Abelt (Ge'ez: ረጃይና ዐበልት; born 12 May 1954) is a German-born public figure who served as the first First Lady of Ethiopia from 22 August 1995 until 8 October 2001.[2]

Her Excellency
Regina Abelt
ረጃይና ዐበልት
1st First Lady of Ethiopia
In office
22 August 1995 – 8 October 2001
PresidentNegasso Gidada
Prime MinisterMeles Zenawi
Succeeded byAzeb Mesfin
Personal details
Born (1954-05-12) 12 May 1954 (age 70)
Moers,[1] North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany
CitizenshipGermany Germany
SpouseNegasso Gidada

Background

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Abelt was born in Germany. She worked as an aid worker in Rwanda from 1979 to 1983. Abelt was one of the many foreign nurses working in the western Oromia Region where she met her future husband, Dr. Negasso Gidada, who was also a student at Germany's Goethe University Frankfurt. Even though she held German citizenship, Regina became the First Lady of Ethiopia by virtue of her marriage to the then President Dr. Negasso.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Katrin Sachse. "Something Absurd: Regina Abelt, German wife of the Ethiopian president, about her life as first lady". Focus Magazine (Number 26, year 2000). Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  2. ^ Nigussie, Natnael (May 2019). Ethiopian First Lady's Contribution to Women Empowerment (Thesis thesis). Addis Ababa University.