Derg

Ethiopia, 1974–1987. Draft, not yet reviewed

The Derg was the military junta that ruled Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987, though its members remained in power until 1991. On 12 September 1974, the Derg overthrew the government of the Ethiopian Empire and Emperor Haile Selassie during nationwide mass protests. Mengistu became chairman in 1977, launching the Red Terror political repression campaign to eliminate political opponents, with tens of thousands imprisoned and executed without trial. By the mid-1980s Ethiopia was plagued by multiple issues, including droughts, economic decline and the 1983 to 1985 famine.

Seat of power: Addis Ababa

Rulers

Tafari Benti

President of Ethiopia, 1974–1977

Brigadier General Tafari Benti served as head of state of Ethiopia from 1974 to 1977 as the second chairman of the Derg. During his tenure, Tafari presented himself as the public face of the ruling junta.

Mengistu Haile Mariam

President of Ethiopia, 1977–1991

He was chairman of the Derg, the Marxist-Leninist military junta that ruled Ethiopia, from 1977 to 1987. Mengistu purged his rivals within the Derg and made himself leader of Ethiopia, attempting to modernize the country's feudal economy through Marxist-Leninist-inspired policies such as nationalization and land redistribution. His consolidation of power in 1977-1978 is known as the Ethiopian Red Terror, a brutal crackdown on opposition groups and civilians.

Portrait of Mengistu Haile Mariam: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file

Culture

In March 1975 the Derg abolished the monarchy and established Ethiopia as a communist state under a military-led provisional government.
The abolition of feudalism, increased literacy, nationalization, and sweeping land reform including the resettlement and villagization from the Ethiopian Highlands became priorities.
The Ethiopian Red Terror, also known as the Qey Shibir, was a violent political repression campaign of the Derg from 1976 to 1978. It is estimated that 10,000 to 980,000 people were killed over the course of the Qey Shibir.

Picture

The victims' lives are immortalized in the "Red Terror" Martyrs' Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa.

Image: Insights Unspoken, CC BY-SA 2.0, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.