Abiy Ahmed Ali, born on 15 August 1976 in Ethiopia, is ethnically Oromo and a practicing Pentecostal Christian. Known in Oromo as Abiyi Ahmed Alii and in Amharic as ዐቢይ አሕመድ ዐሊ, he participated in rebel forces against the Derg regime as a young man and later joined the Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO) as a radio operator. After the Derg's downfall, he received military training at the Assefa Brigade in Western Wollega, specializing in radio communications and military intelligence, and rose through the ranks in the Ethiopian military. A skilled marathon runner, he has completed several long-distance races. Abiy pursued higher education in computer science, leadership, economics, and engineering, earning a Ph.D. in peace and security studies (also known as peace and conflict research) from Addis Ababa University in 2017. He transitioned into politics, becoming Prime Minister of Ethiopia in 2018 and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2019. His tenure has involved controversies, including the Tigray War—for which his role has been critiqued, with calls for U.S. sanctions and support for Tigrayan forces—and allegations of authoritarian tendencies following the award.