Mengistu Haile Mariam: Difference between revisions

Line 1:

{{Villain_Infobox

|Image = [[File:Mengistu_Haile_Mariam_3.jpg|right|300px]]

Line 17:

Line 19:

==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 [[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.

Line 31:

Line 33:

==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 [[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 [[Tafari Benti]].

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.

==Leadership in Ethiopia==

Mengistu did not emerge as the leader of the Derg until after the 3 February 1977 shootout, in which Tafari Banti was killed. The vice chairman of the Derg, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atnafu_Abate Atnafu Abate], although with some support at this time, clashed with Mengistu over the issue of how to handle the war in Eritrea and lost leading to his execution with 40 other officers, clearing the way for Mengistu to become the complete master of the situation.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-12 [12]] He formally assumed power as head of state, and justified his execution of Abate (on 13 November of that year) by claiming that he had "placed the interests of Ethiopia above the interests of socialism" and undertaken other "counter-revolutionary" activities.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-13 [13]] Under Mengistu, Ethiopia received aid from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union Soviet Union], other members of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Pact Warsaw Pact], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba Cuba].

Mengistu did not emerge as the leader of the Derg until after the 3 February 1977 shootout, in which Tafari Banti was killed. The vice chairman of the Derg, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atnafu_Abate Atnafu Abate], although with some support at this time, clashed with Mengistu over the issue of how to handle the war in Eritrea and lost leading to his execution with 40 other officers, clearing the way for Mengistu to become the complete master of the situation.

===Political Conflicts===

From 1977 through 1978, resistance against the Derg ensued, led primarily by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_People%27s_Revolutionary_Party Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party] (EPRP). Mengistu cracked down on the EPRP and other revolutionary student organizations in what would become called the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Terror_%28Ethiopia%29 Red Terror]". The Derg subsequently turned against the socialist student movement [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEISON MEISON], a major supporter against the EPRP, in what would be called the "[~~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_terror~~ White terror]".

From 1977 through 1978, resistance against the Derg ensued, led primarily by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_People%27s_Revolutionary_Party Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party] (EPRP). Mengistu cracked down on the EPRP and other revolutionary student organizations in what would become called the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Terror_%28Ethiopia%29 Red Terror]". The Derg subsequently turned against the socialist student movement [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEISON MEISON], a major supporter against the EPRP, in what would be called the "[[White terror]]".

The EPRP's efforts to discredit and undermine the Derg and its MEISON collaborators escalated in the fall of 1976. It targeted public buildings and other symbols of state authority for bombings and assassinated numerous Abyot Seded and MEISON members, as well as public officials at all levels. The Derg, which countered with its own counter-terrorism campaign, labeled the EPRP's tactics the White Terror. Mengistu asserted that all "progressives" were given "freedom of action" in helping root out the revolution's enemies, and his wrath was particularly directed toward the EPRP. Peasants, workers, public officials, and even students thought to be loyal to the Mengistu regime were provided with arms to accomplish this task.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-LOC-web-14 [14]]

Col. Mengistu gave a dramatic send-off to his campaign of terror. In a public speech, he shouted "Death to counterrevolutionaries! Death to the EPRP!" and then produced three bottles of what appeared to be blood and smashed them to the ground to show what the revolution would do to its enemies. Thousands of young men and women turned up dead in the streets of the capital and other cities in the following two years. They were systematically murdered mainly by militia attached to the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kebele Kebeles]," the neighborhood watch committees which served during Mengistu's reign as the lowest level local government and security surveillance units. Families had to pay the Kebeles a tax known as "the wasted bullet" to obtain the bodies of their loved ones.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-15 [15]] In May 1977 the Swedish general secretary of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Save_the_Children Save the Children Fund] stated that "1,000 children have been killed, and their bodies are left in the streets and are being eaten by wild [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_hyena hyenas] . . . You can see the heaped-up bodies of murdered children, most of them aged eleven to thirteen, lying in the gutter, as you drive out of Addis Ababa."[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-16 [16]]

Col. Mengistu gave a dramatic send-off to his campaign of terror. In a public speech in 1976, he shouted "Death to counterrevolutionaries! Death to the EPRP!" and then produced three bottles of what appeared to be blood and smashed them to the ground to show what the revolution would do to its enemies. Thousands of young men and women turned up dead in the streets of the capital and other cities in the following two years. They were systematically murdered mainly by militia attached to the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kebele Kebeles]," the neighborhood watch committees which served during Mengistu's reign as the lowest level local government and security surveillance units. Families had to pay the Kebeles a tax known as "the wasted bullet" to obtain the bodies of their loved ones.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-15 [15]] In May 1977 the Swedish general secretary of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Save_the_Children Save the Children Fund] stated that "1,000 children have been killed, and their bodies are left in the streets and are being eaten by wild [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_hyena hyenas] . . . You can see the heaped-up bodies of murdered children, most of them aged eleven to thirteen, lying in the gutter, as you drive out of Addis Ababa."[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-16 [16]]

Military gains made by the monarchist [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Democratic_Union Ethiopian Democratic Union] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begemder Begemder] were rolled back when that party split just as it was on the verge of capturing the old capital of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gondar Gondar]. The army of the Republic of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somalia Somalia] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogaden_War invaded Ethiopia] having overrun the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogaden Ogaden] region, and was on the verge of capturing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harar Harar] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dire_Dawa Dire Dawa], when Somalia's erstwhile allies, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union Soviets] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba Cubans], launched an unprecedented arms and personnel airlift to come to Ethiopia's rescue. The Derg government turned back the Somali invasion, and made deep strides against the Eritrean secessionists and the TPLF as well. By the end of the seventies, Mengistu presided over the second largest army in all of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sub-Saharan_Africa sub-Saharan Africa], as well as a formidable [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Air_Force airforce] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy navy].

Line 62:

Line 64:

===Asylum in Zimbabwe===

In May 1991, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_People%27s_Revolutionary_Democratic_Front Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front] (EPRDF) forces advanced on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa Addis Ababa] from all sides, and Mengistu fled the country with 50 family and Derg members. He was granted asylum in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwe Zimbabwe] as an official guest of Zimbabwean President [[Robert Mugabe]]. Mengistu left behind almost the entire membership of the original Derg and the WPE leadership, precluding their escape; in fact, one officer was caught twice while trying to escape from Addis Ababa. Almost all were promptly arrested and put on trial upon the assumption of power by the EPRDF. Mengistu has claimed that the takeover of his country resulted from the policies of [~~http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Gorbachev~~ Mikhail Gorbachev], who in his view allowed the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the termination of its aid to Ethiopia.

In May 1991, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_People%27s_Revolutionary_Democratic_Front Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front] (EPRDF) forces advanced on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa Addis Ababa] from all sides, and Mengistu fled the country with 50 family and Derg members. He was granted asylum in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwe Zimbabwe] as an official guest of Zimbabwean President [[Robert Mugabe]]. Mengistu left behind almost the entire membership of the original Derg and the WPE leadership, precluding their escape; in fact, one officer was caught twice while trying to escape from Addis Ababa. Almost all were promptly arrested and put on trial upon the assumption of power by the EPRDF. Mengistu has claimed that the takeover of his country resulted from the policies of [[Mikhail Gorbachev]], who in his view allowed the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the termination of its aid to Ethiopia.

An assassination attempt against Mengistu occurred on 4 November 1995, while he was out walking with his wife, Wubanchi Bishaw, near his home in the Gunhill suburb of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harare Harare]. While Mengistu was unharmed, his alleged attacker, Solomon Haile Ghebre Michael, an Eritrean, was shot and arrested by Mengistu's bodyguards. He was later tried for this assassination attempt, pleading not guilty in a Zimbabwean court on 8 July 1996. The Eritrean Ambassador to South Africa, Tsegaye Tesfa Tsion, flew to Harare to attend the trial. The attacker was sentenced to ten years in prison, while his accomplice Abraham Goletom Joseph, who had been arrested in a police raid, was sentenced to five years. They said that they had been tortured under Mengistu, and on appeal their sentences were reduced to two years each due to "mitigatory circumstances". The Ethiopian ambassador to Zimbabwe, Fantahun Haile Michael, said his government was not involved in the assassination attempt, and that he heard about the incident from the media.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Mature}}
+{{Important}}
+{{Plagiarism}}
 {{Villain_Infobox
 |Image = [[File:Mengistu_Haile_Mariam_3.jpg|right|300px]]
@@ Line 17: / Line 19: @@
 ==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 [[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.
@@ Line 31: / Line 33: @@
 ==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 [[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 [[Tafari Benti]].
 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.
 ==Leadership in Ethiopia==
-Mengistu did not emerge as the leader of the Derg until after the 3 February 1977 shootout, in which Tafari Banti was killed. The vice chairman of the Derg, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atnafu_Abate Atnafu Abate], although with some support at this time, clashed with Mengistu over the issue of how to handle the war in Eritrea and lost leading to his execution with 40 other officers, clearing the way for Mengistu to become the complete master of the situation.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-12">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-12 [12]]</sup> He formally assumed power as head of state, and justified his execution of Abate (on 13 November of that year) by claiming that he had "placed the interests of Ethiopia above the interests of socialism" and undertaken other "counter-revolutionary" activities.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-13">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-13 [13]]</sup> Under Mengistu, Ethiopia received aid from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union Soviet Union], other members of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Pact Warsaw Pact], and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba Cuba].
+Mengistu did not emerge as the leader of the Derg until after the 3 February 1977 shootout, in which Tafari Banti was killed. The vice chairman of the Derg, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atnafu_Abate Atnafu Abate], although with some support at this time, clashed with Mengistu over the issue of how to handle the war in Eritrea and lost leading to his execution with 40 other officers, clearing the way for Mengistu to become the complete master of the situation.
 ===Political Conflicts===
-From 1977 through 1978, resistance against the Derg ensued, led primarily by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_People%27s_Revolutionary_Party Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party] (EPRP). Mengistu cracked down on the EPRP and other revolutionary student organizations in what would become called the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Terror_%28Ethiopia%29 Red Terror]". The Derg subsequently turned against the socialist student movement [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEISON MEISON], a major supporter against the EPRP, in what would be called the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_terror White terror]".
+From 1977 through 1978, resistance against the Derg ensued, led primarily by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_People%27s_Revolutionary_Party Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party] (EPRP). Mengistu cracked down on the EPRP and other revolutionary student organizations in what would become called the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Terror_%28Ethiopia%29 Red Terror]". The Derg subsequently turned against the socialist student movement [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEISON MEISON], a major supporter against the EPRP, in what would be called the "[[White terror]]".
 The EPRP's efforts to discredit and undermine the Derg and its MEISON collaborators escalated in the fall of 1976. It targeted public buildings and other symbols of state authority for bombings and assassinated numerous Abyot Seded and MEISON members, as well as public officials at all levels. The Derg, which countered with its own counter-terrorism campaign, labeled the EPRP's tactics the White Terror. Mengistu asserted that all "progressives" were given "freedom of action" in helping root out the revolution's enemies, and his wrath was particularly directed toward the EPRP. Peasants, workers, public officials, and even students thought to be loyal to the Mengistu regime were provided with arms to accomplish this task.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-LOC-web_14-0">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-LOC-web-14 [14]]</sup>
-Col. Mengistu gave a dramatic send-off to his campaign of terror. In a public speech, he shouted "Death to counterrevolutionaries! Death to the EPRP!" and then produced three bottles of what appeared to be blood and smashed them to the ground to show what the revolution would do to its enemies. Thousands of young men and women turned up dead in the streets of the capital and other cities in the following two years. They were systematically murdered mainly by militia attached to the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kebele Kebeles]," the neighborhood watch committees which served during Mengistu's reign as the lowest level local government and security surveillance units. Families had to pay the Kebeles a tax known as "the wasted bullet" to obtain the bodies of their loved ones.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-15">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-15 [15]]</sup> In May 1977 the Swedish general secretary of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Save_the_Children Save the Children Fund] stated that "1,000 children have been killed, and their bodies are left in the streets and are being eaten by wild [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_hyena hyenas] . . . You can see the heaped-up bodies of murdered children, most of them aged eleven to thirteen, lying in the gutter, as you drive out of Addis Ababa."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-16 [16]]</sup>
+Col. Mengistu gave a dramatic send-off to his campaign of terror. In a public speech in 1976, he shouted "Death to counterrevolutionaries! Death to the EPRP!" and then produced three bottles of what appeared to be blood and smashed them to the ground to show what the revolution would do to its enemies. Thousands of young men and women turned up dead in the streets of the capital and other cities in the following two years. They were systematically murdered mainly by militia attached to the "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kebele Kebeles]," the neighborhood watch committees which served during Mengistu's reign as the lowest level local government and security surveillance units. Families had to pay the Kebeles a tax known as "the wasted bullet" to obtain the bodies of their loved ones.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-15">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-15 [15]]</sup> In May 1977 the Swedish general secretary of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Save_the_Children Save the Children Fund] stated that "1,000 children have been killed, and their bodies are left in the streets and are being eaten by wild [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_hyena hyenas] . . . You can see the heaped-up bodies of murdered children, most of them aged eleven to thirteen, lying in the gutter, as you drive out of Addis Ababa."<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16">[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mengistu_Haile_Mariam#cite_note-16 [16]]</sup>
 Military gains made by the monarchist [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Democratic_Union Ethiopian Democratic Union] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begemder Begemder] were rolled back when that party split just as it was on the verge of capturing the old capital of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gondar Gondar]. The army of the Republic of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somalia Somalia] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogaden_War invaded Ethiopia] having overrun the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogaden Ogaden] region, and was on the verge of capturing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harar Harar] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dire_Dawa Dire Dawa], when Somalia's erstwhile allies, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union Soviets] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba Cubans], launched an unprecedented arms and personnel airlift to come to Ethiopia's rescue. The Derg government turned back the Somali invasion, and made deep strides against the Eritrean secessionists and the TPLF as well. By the end of the seventies, Mengistu presided over the second largest army in all of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sub-Saharan_Africa sub-Saharan Africa], as well as a formidable [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Air_Force airforce] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy navy].
@@ Line 62: / Line 64: @@
 ===Asylum in Zimbabwe===
-In May 1991, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_People%27s_Revolutionary_Democratic_Front Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front] (EPRDF) forces advanced on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa Addis Ababa] from all sides, and Mengistu fled the country with 50 family and Derg members. He was granted asylum in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwe Zimbabwe] as an official guest of Zimbabwean President [[Robert Mugabe]]. Mengistu left behind almost the entire membership of the original Derg and the WPE leadership, precluding their escape; in fact, one officer was caught twice while trying to escape from Addis Ababa. Almost all were promptly arrested and put on trial upon the assumption of power by the EPRDF. Mengistu has claimed that the takeover of his country resulted from the policies of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikhail_Gorbachev Mikhail Gorbachev], who in his view allowed the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the termination of its aid to Ethiopia.
+In May 1991, the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_People%27s_Revolutionary_Democratic_Front Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front] (EPRDF) forces advanced on [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa Addis Ababa] from all sides, and Mengistu fled the country with 50 family and Derg members. He was granted asylum in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbabwe Zimbabwe] as an official guest of Zimbabwean President [[Robert Mugabe]]. Mengistu left behind almost the entire membership of the original Derg and the WPE leadership, precluding their escape; in fact, one officer was caught twice while trying to escape from Addis Ababa. Almost all were promptly arrested and put on trial upon the assumption of power by the EPRDF. Mengistu has claimed that the takeover of his country resulted from the policies of [[Mikhail Gorbachev]], who in his view allowed the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the termination of its aid to Ethiopia.
 An assassination attempt against Mengistu occurred on 4 November 1995, while he was out walking with his wife, Wubanchi Bishaw, near his home in the Gunhill suburb of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harare Harare]. While Mengistu was unharmed, his alleged attacker, Solomon Haile Ghebre Michael, an Eritrean, was shot and arrested by Mengistu's bodyguards. He was later tried for this assassination attempt, pleading not guilty in a Zimbabwean court on 8 July 1996. The Eritrean Ambassador to South Africa, Tsegaye Tesfa Tsion, flew to Harare to attend the trial. The attacker was sentenced to ten years in prison, while his accomplice Abraham Goletom Joseph, who had been arrested in a police raid, was sentenced to five years. They said that they had been tortured under Mengistu, and on appeal their sentences were reduced to two years each due to "mitigatory circumstances". The Ethiopian ambassador to Zimbabwe, Fantahun Haile Michael, said his government was not involved in the assassination attempt, and that he heard about the incident from the media.