Mengistu Haile Mariam: Difference between revisions

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==Early life==

Unsubstantiated accounts allege that Mengistu Haile Mariam's mother was the illegitimate daughter of ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dejazmach Dejazmach]'' Kebede Tessema, a high ranking nobleman and Crown Councilor to Emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie Haile Selassie], and himself suspected of being the illegitimate son of Emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menelik_II Menelik II]. These rumors of Mengistu being the grandson of ''Dejazmach'' Kebede are widely believed, but have never been confirmed by either Mengistu himself or by the late nobleman's family. Mengistu was born on 27 May 1937 in Addis Ababa. Mengistu's father, Haile Mariam, was in the service of an aristocratic sub-provincial governor, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoa,_Ethiopia Shoan] landowner ''Afenegus'' Eshete Geda. Eshete encountered Haile Mariam while he was on a hunting expedition in the administrative district of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimira Gimira] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maji Maji] (in Southern Ethiopia), then under the governorship of ''Dejazmach'' Taye Gulilat. He later became an enlisted man in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_army Ethiopian army]. ''Afenegus'' Eshete Geda was the half-brother of ''Dejazmach'' Kebede's wife, Woizero Yitateku Kidane, and it was through this connection that Mengistu's parents are alleged to have met.

Unsubstantiated accounts allege that Mengistu Haile Mariam's mother was the illegitimate daughter of ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dejazmach Dejazmach]'' Kebede Tessema, a high-ranking nobleman and Crown Councilor to Emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie Haile Selassie], and himself suspected of being the illegitimate son of Emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menelik_II Menelik II]. These rumors of Mengistu being the grandson of ''Dejazmach'' Kebede are widely believed but have never been confirmed by either Mengistu himself or by the late nobleman's family. Mengistu was born on 27 May 1937 in Addis Ababa. Mengistu's father, Haile Mariam, was in the service of an aristocratic sub-provincial governor, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoa,_Ethiopia Shoan] landowner ''Afenegus'' Eshete Geda. Eshete encountered Haile Mariam while he was on a hunting expedition in the administrative district of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimira Gimira] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maji Maji] (in Southern Ethiopia), then under the governorship of ''Dejazmach'' Taye Gulilat. He later became an enlisted man in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_army Ethiopian army]. ''Afenegus'' Eshete Geda was the half-brother of ''Dejazmach'' Kebede's wife, Woizero Yitateku Kidane, and it was through this connection that Mengistu's parents are alleged to have met.

Mengistu's mother died during childbirth when Mengistu was only 8 years old. After the death of his mother, Mengistu and his 2 siblings went to live with their grandmother for a few years. He then came back to live with his father and soon after joined the army at a very young age. Mengistu's father Haile Mariam Wolde was very proud of his son's achievements, though some people believe the Ethiopian popular account that states that his family was far from proud of his political accomplishments. His grandmother, who was called Woyzero Abebech, was still alive when he seized power, and had become an Orthodox nun (as is very common amongst elderly women in Ethiopia). Woyzero Abebech (Mengistu's grandmother) lost her land that she inherited from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Zewditu Empress Zewditu] whom she had served as an attendant, as well as her husband. She continued to live in a place known as Addis Alem not far from Addis Ababa and was said to have been furious at the nationalization of her land by her grandson's government.

Mengistu's mother died during childbirth when Mengistu was only 8 years old. After the death of his mother, Mengistu and his 2 siblings went to live with their grandmother for a few years. He then came back to live with his father and soon after joined the army at a very young age. Mengistu's father Haile Mariam Wolde was very proud of his son's achievements, though some people believe the Ethiopian popular account that states that his family was far from proud of his political accomplishments. His grandmother, who was called Woyzero Abebech, was still alive when he seized power and had become an Orthodox nun (as is very common amongst elderly women in Ethiopia). Woyzero Abebech (Mengistu's grandmother) lost her land that she inherited from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Zewditu Empress Zewditu] whom she had served as an attendant, as well as her husband. She continued to live in a place known as Addis Alem not far from Addis Ababa and was said to have been furious at the nationalization of her land by her grandson's government.

Mengistu's father, Haile Mariam, is said to have defiantly hung Emperor Haile Selassie's portrait on the walls of his living room in the villa that the Prime Minister, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fikre_Selassie_Wogderess Fikre Selassie Wogderess], built for him in the middle class district of Asmera Menged.

Mengistu's father, Haile Mariam, is said to have defiantly hung Emperor Haile Selassie's portrait on the walls of his living room in the villa that the Prime Minister, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fikre_Selassie_Wogderess Fikre Selassie Wogderess], built for him in the middle-class district of Asmera Menged.

==Servie in the Army==

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==The rise of the Derg==

In 1974, Emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie Haile Selassie]'s government had lost public confidence within Ethiopia following a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famines_in_Ethiopia famine] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wello Wello] province, leading to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_revolution Ethiopian revolution]. As a result, power came into the hands of a committee of low ranking officers and enlisted soldiers led by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atnafu_Abate Atnafu Abate], which came to be known as the Derg. Originally, Mengistu was one of the lesser members, officially sent to represent the Third Division because his commander, General Nega Tegnegn considered him a trouble-maker and wanted to get rid of him.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-Henze-290-9 [9]] Between July and September 1974, Mengistu became the most influential member of the shadowy Derg, but preferred to act through more public members like his former mentor, general Aman Andom, and later [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tafari_Benti Tafari Benti].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-Keller-185-8 [8]]

In 1974, Emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie Haile Selassie]'s government had lost public confidence within Ethiopia following a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famines_in_Ethiopia famine] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wello Wello] province, leading to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_revolution Ethiopian revolution]. As a result, power came into the hands of a committee of low-ranking officers and enlisted soldiers led by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atnafu_Abate Atnafu Abate], which came to be known as the Derg. Originally, Mengistu was one of the lesser members, officially sent to represent the Third Division because his commander, General Nega Tegnegn considered him a trouble-maker and wanted to get rid of him.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-Henze-290-9 [9]] Between July and September 1974, Mengistu became the most influential member of the shadowy Derg, but preferred to act through more public members like his former mentor, general Aman Andom, and later [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tafari_Benti Tafari Benti].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-Keller-185-8 [8]]

Haile Selassie died in 1975. It is rumored that Mengistu smothered the Emperor using a pillow case, but Mengistu has denied these rumors.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-11 [11]] Though several groups were involved in the overthrow, the Derg succeeded to power. However there is no doubt that the Derg under Mengistu's leadership ordered the deaths without trial of 61 ex-officials of the Imperial government on 23 November 1974, and later of numerous other former nobles and officials including the Patriarch of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Orthodox_Church Ethiopian Orthodox Church], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abuna_Theophilos Abuna Theophilos], in 1977. Mengistu himself has acknowledged that the Derg ordered these deaths, but refuses to accept personal responsibility. Members of the Derg have contradicted him in interviews given from imprisonment saying he conspired and was in full agreement with their decisions.

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 ==Early life==
-Unsubstantiated accounts allege that Mengistu Haile Mariam's mother was the illegitimate daughter of ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dejazmach Dejazmach]'' Kebede Tessema, a high ranking nobleman and Crown Councilor to Emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie Haile Selassie], and himself suspected of being the illegitimate son of Emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menelik_II Menelik II]. These rumors of Mengistu being the grandson of ''Dejazmach'' Kebede are widely believed, but have never been confirmed by either Mengistu himself or by the late nobleman's family. Mengistu was born on 27 May 1937 in Addis Ababa. Mengistu's father, Haile Mariam, was in the service of an aristocratic sub-provincial governor, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoa,_Ethiopia Shoan] landowner ''Afenegus'' Eshete Geda. Eshete encountered Haile Mariam while he was on a hunting expedition in the administrative district of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimira Gimira] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maji Maji] (in Southern Ethiopia), then under the governorship of ''Dejazmach'' Taye Gulilat. He later became an enlisted man in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_army Ethiopian army]. ''Afenegus'' Eshete Geda was the half-brother of ''Dejazmach'' Kebede's wife, Woizero Yitateku Kidane, and it was through this connection that Mengistu's parents are alleged to have met.
+Unsubstantiated accounts allege that Mengistu Haile Mariam's mother was the illegitimate daughter of ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dejazmach Dejazmach]'' Kebede Tessema, a high-ranking nobleman and Crown Councilor to Emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie Haile Selassie], and himself suspected of being the illegitimate son of Emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menelik_II Menelik II]. These rumors of Mengistu being the grandson of ''Dejazmach'' Kebede are widely believed but have never been confirmed by either Mengistu himself or by the late nobleman's family. Mengistu was born on 27 May 1937 in Addis Ababa. Mengistu's father, Haile Mariam, was in the service of an aristocratic sub-provincial governor, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoa,_Ethiopia Shoan] landowner ''Afenegus'' Eshete Geda. Eshete encountered Haile Mariam while he was on a hunting expedition in the administrative district of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimira Gimira] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maji Maji] (in Southern Ethiopia), then under the governorship of ''Dejazmach'' Taye Gulilat. He later became an enlisted man in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_army Ethiopian army]. ''Afenegus'' Eshete Geda was the half-brother of ''Dejazmach'' Kebede's wife, Woizero Yitateku Kidane, and it was through this connection that Mengistu's parents are alleged to have met.
-Mengistu's mother died during childbirth when Mengistu was only 8 years old. After the death of his mother, Mengistu and his 2 siblings went to live with their grandmother for a few years. He then came back to live with his father and soon after joined the army at a very young age. Mengistu's father Haile Mariam Wolde was very proud of his son's achievements, though some people believe the Ethiopian popular account that states that his family was far from proud of his political accomplishments. His grandmother, who was called Woyzero Abebech, was still alive when he seized power, and had become an Orthodox nun (as is very common amongst elderly women in Ethiopia). Woyzero Abebech (Mengistu's grandmother) lost her land that she inherited from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Zewditu Empress Zewditu] whom she had served as an attendant, as well as her husband. She continued to live in a place known as Addis Alem not far from Addis Ababa and was said to have been furious at the nationalization of her land by her grandson's government.
+Mengistu's mother died during childbirth when Mengistu was only 8 years old. After the death of his mother, Mengistu and his 2 siblings went to live with their grandmother for a few years. He then came back to live with his father and soon after joined the army at a very young age. Mengistu's father Haile Mariam Wolde was very proud of his son's achievements, though some people believe the Ethiopian popular account that states that his family was far from proud of his political accomplishments. His grandmother, who was called Woyzero Abebech, was still alive when he seized power and had become an Orthodox nun (as is very common amongst elderly women in Ethiopia). Woyzero Abebech (Mengistu's grandmother) lost her land that she inherited from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Zewditu Empress Zewditu] whom she had served as an attendant, as well as her husband. She continued to live in a place known as Addis Alem not far from Addis Ababa and was said to have been furious at the nationalization of her land by her grandson's government.
-Mengistu's father, Haile Mariam, is said to have defiantly hung Emperor Haile Selassie's portrait on the walls of his living room in the villa that the Prime Minister, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fikre_Selassie_Wogderess Fikre Selassie Wogderess], built for him in the middle class district of Asmera Menged.
+Mengistu's father, Haile Mariam, is said to have defiantly hung Emperor Haile Selassie's portrait on the walls of his living room in the villa that the Prime Minister, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fikre_Selassie_Wogderess Fikre Selassie Wogderess], built for him in the middle-class district of Asmera Menged.
 ==Servie in the Army==
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 ==The rise of the Derg==
-In 1974, Emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie Haile Selassie]'s government had lost public confidence within Ethiopia following a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famines_in_Ethiopia famine] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wello Wello] province, leading to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_revolution Ethiopian revolution]. As a result, power came into the hands of a committee of low ranking officers and enlisted soldiers led by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atnafu_Abate Atnafu Abate], which came to be known as the Derg. Originally, Mengistu was one of the lesser members, officially sent to represent the Third Division because his commander, General Nega Tegnegn considered him a trouble-maker and wanted to get rid of him.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Henze-290_9-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-Henze-290-9 [9]]</sup> Between July and September 1974, Mengistu became the most influential member of the shadowy Derg, but preferred to act through more public members like his former mentor, general Aman Andom, and later [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tafari_Benti Tafari Benti].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Keller-185_8-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-Keller-185-8 [8]]</sup>
+In 1974, Emperor [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie Haile Selassie]'s government had lost public confidence within Ethiopia following a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famines_in_Ethiopia famine] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wello Wello] province, leading to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_revolution Ethiopian revolution]. As a result, power came into the hands of a committee of low-ranking officers and enlisted soldiers led by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atnafu_Abate Atnafu Abate], which came to be known as the Derg. Originally, Mengistu was one of the lesser members, officially sent to represent the Third Division because his commander, General Nega Tegnegn considered him a trouble-maker and wanted to get rid of him.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Henze-290_9-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-Henze-290-9 [9]]</sup> Between July and September 1974, Mengistu became the most influential member of the shadowy Derg, but preferred to act through more public members like his former mentor, general Aman Andom, and later [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tafari_Benti Tafari Benti].<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Keller-185_8-1">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-Keller-185-8 [8]]</sup>
 Haile Selassie died in 1975. It is rumored that Mengistu smothered the Emperor using a pillow case, but Mengistu has denied these rumors.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-11">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-11 [11]]</sup> Though several groups were involved in the overthrow, the Derg succeeded to power. However there is no doubt that the Derg under Mengistu's leadership ordered the deaths without trial of 61 ex-officials of the Imperial government on 23 November 1974, and later of numerous other former nobles and officials including the Patriarch of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Orthodox_Church Ethiopian Orthodox Church], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abuna_Theophilos Abuna Theophilos], in 1977. Mengistu himself has acknowledged that the Derg ordered these deaths, but refuses to accept personal responsibility. Members of the Derg have contradicted him in interviews given from imprisonment saying he conspired and was in full agreement with their decisions.