Colonel Mengistu Hailemariam (born 1937) was the most famous officer of the Derg, the military junta that governed Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987, and the president of the People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
He oversaw the Ethiopian Red Terror of 1977-1978, a repression campaign against the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party and other anti-Derg factions.
After the downfall of Haile Selassie, Ethiopia was controlled by Communist regimes which shifted the equipment, organization and doctrines away from Western European and American influences towards those of the Soviet Union and other Communist countries, especially Cuba.
During this period, Ethiopian forces were often locked in counter-insurgency campaigns against various guerrilla groups.
They honed both conventional and guerrilla tactics during campaigns in Eritrea, and the Ethiopian Civil War that toppled Ethiopian former military dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1991 and also by repelling an invasion launched by Somalia in the 1977–1978 Ogaden War.
The Ethiopian army grew considerably during this time under the regimes of the Derg and the People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia under the dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam, especially during the latter regime. Estimated forces under arms increased dramatically.
Cuba provided a significant influx of military advisors and troops over this period, with the largest escalation during the Ogaden War with Somalia, supported by a Soviet airlift.
Mengistu’s “Dergue” regime was responsible for human rights violations on a massive scale.
Tens of thousands of Ethiopians were tortured, murdered or “disappeared.” Tens of thousands of people were also killed as a result of humanitarian law violations committed during Ethiopia’s many internal armed conflicts.
Many others, perhaps more than 100,000, died as a result of forced relocations ordered by the Mengistu regime.
Mengistu fled to Zimbabwe in 1991 after a violent uprising against his government, and remains there despite an Ethiopian court verdict finding him guilty in absentia of genocide.
Keywords: Derg, Haile Selassie, Red Terror, Ethiopia, Ogaden War,
Joseph Jamene on 
ali ahmed sani on 
acromotmemeft on 
Ivonne on
Will the Ethiopian monarchy be restored to power once more?
could such a type of goverment exsist in such a poor contery
I appreciated his patriotism and his personal decisionns besides his foolish thinkings.
hello,
I want to get an information about the coup’detat of mengistu over hailesilase.
i missed u our father
Dear sir
sir i request this information please secrate, you office lavel watching, this guy buy now one usd 12.50 bir and sold 14 bir per usd dolar
sir you chek this all company account and last years havemuch income tax and vat diposit this guy not paid income tax and vat after show loss. and all money save this cheating with ethio goverment you asking havemany company there and asking you import your shop items but not give bill who give this vat and income tax, asking havemany company with you business all is cliear,
this very secret information important FINANCIAL AND REVENUE CRIME WITH ETHIOPIA COUNTRY,
sir one indian nationalty man BHARAT SHAH daily milion dolar and other foreign currency exchange and transfer out of country unofficialy,
sir this man somany company format in ethiopia and import this man all import under invoice and revenue loss ethiopian goverment, this man last maybe 40 years in ethiopia,
sir i give you parsonal leval this information but you official lavel invastigation, and recovery goverment money i think minimum 2 milion dolar recovery,
becouset\ this man long time this business, allredy bilions dolar this man tranfer and revenue loss ethio goverment, now u send parsonal leval any froeigner exchange money then u first arrested after asking all question,
bharat shah one indian food items shop in addis near mariden hotel bole road,
i also business ethio long time, this information truely,
i proud ethiopia
prashant
I proud of him….or all Ethiopian Military members, this guys are smart and best army’s in the Ethiopian history, the time will never come back. We Ethiopians are Proud of our fathers.
Ethiopia Tekdem!
you guys are crazy. he killed half your family. fucking nazis….>.>
Is there any one that knows the whereabouts of my old marine friends?
1.Zelalem Brhihanu
2.Getanhe Mitiku
3.Abera Likassa and others.
The above whereabout comment is mistakenly posted in the wrong website, so plz ,don’t let it pass the moderation process.
You guys should be ashamed of this former leader. He send 100000s of fellow Ethiopians just for the sake of false unity, while he should seek for political solution. There were different options to keep Ethiopian people proud. Yet he did it that way and lost his people,lost money, lost the war,lost 100 year old power to Tigre, lost Eritrea, lost redsea. etc etc.
You guys should be ashamed of this former leader. He send 100000s of fellow Ethiopians just for the sake of false unity, while he should seek for political solution. There were different options to keep Ethiopian people proud. Yet he did it that way and lost his people,lost money, lost the war,lost 100 year old power to Tigre, lost Eritrea, lost redsea, lost your dignity and pride etc etc.
yet you guys are proud of him…realy insane and sick.
HOW CAN ANYONE IN HIS RIGHT MIND PRAISE A MURDERER LIKE MENGISTU HAILEMARIAM??? HE SHOULD DIE A SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH..HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT JUST KILLING INNOCENT ETHIOPIANS BUT FOR MENTALLY CRIPPLING AND DEMOTIVATING ETHIOPIANS.I MUST SAY THOUGH OUR RESPECTED CURRENT GOVERNMENT IS DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB IN FOCUSING OUR MINDS ABOUT THE FUTURE AND GROWTH..I’M PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS AMAZING TRANSITION!!LONG LIVE OUR PRIME MINISTER!
he protist derg regim b\se mony p|le days on red teror so never again!!!!!
Mengistu always had good intentions. He treated every Ethiopian tribe equally. The genocide he is accused of having started was his response to the growing rebel movements. All in all he tried his best and he did quite well.
mengsyu was one of the strong geverner in ethiopian history
ETHIOPIA YADEGECHU BENANT NAW THE BEST ETAIOPIAN ARMY 10Q
I proud of him.
He was the only guy Ethiopian history.You will always be with me in my heart.
yetem
I LOVE COLONEL MENGISTU HAILE MARIAM.HE IS REALLY PATRIOTIC LEADER.