Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, who was sworn in on Friday, succeeds former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Meles died Aug. 20 after ruling Ethiopia for more than two decades.

Last weekend Ethiopia's ruling political party, the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front, named Hailemariam as chair of the party, which controls parliament.

Ethiopia is a strong US ally in East Africa, particularly on security issues. David Shinn, the US ambassador to Ethiopia from 1996 to 1999, said it's unlikely US-Ethiopia relations will change significantly with Hailemariam as prime minister. Shinn said Washington, though, will be interested in seeing a renewed focus on human rights policies, for which Ethiopia is frequently criticized.