The Diary of Terror

This book is about the military dictatorship in Ethiopia which overthrew Emperor Haile Sellassie and ruled the country for seventeen years. Before the coming of the military, it was the landless peasants who held mass demonstrations against the regime to own land in early February 1974. Land was then owned only by the royal families and few of their loyalists. The peasant uprising was supported by university students and government owned bus drivers that paralyzed commuting in the capital Addis Ababa demanding higher pay. This was followed by the strike of government employees for same reason. But the government still did not increase the pay of the civilian and did not give land to the peasants. While the civilian rally was going on everywhere in the country discontent was brewing in the military. Soon the military also detained their commanders and took over state owned radio station in Asmara to demand higher pay. Unlike that of the civilian population the military demand was met right away. And this angered the civilian population who continued demonstrations and strikes everywhere in the country. Although the military went back to their barracks after they got better pay, university students stood with the people and encouraged them to continue until their demands are met. Even though they did not push the emperor to give higher pay for the civilian population the military asked him to remove corrupted officials from power. The King of Kings did this by appointing a retired General named Aman Andom to replace former military leaders. Even after the corrupted generals, ministers and governors were removed the civilian population got nothing. The workers including government employees blamed not only the emperor but also the military. This was because they got nothing when the military was given higher pay by the emperor. The people continued demonstrations not only for higher pay as before but also for political changes. The continued mass rallies everywhere in the country frustrated General Aman Andom because he did not have the power to help the people. But when the situation became difficult for the Emperor to put the situation under control, Aman wanted to step in by forming a military council. In his message to the commanders of the army, the air force, the navy and the police General Aman Andom said that the military should either kill the people who were demonstrating each day for higher pay or help them get what they needed. The military did this in few days. When some divisions held proper elections others did not. Instead, their commanders selected the officers and men they trusted and sent to General Aman in the capital. Major Mengistu Hailemariam was selected by his commander of the 3rd. Army Division in Harar and dispatched to the capital with other soldiers. As they arrived in Addis Ababa, these men met and formed a council later named the Provisional Military Council known as the Derg. Major Mengistu Hailemariam became the 1st. Vice Chaiman and Colonel Atnafu Abate the 2nd. Vice Chairman as General Aman Andom named the chairman of the Council. As from that day other military groups dissolved and the Derg became the main power player. With the Derg in power, most of the former officials were sent to prison. The council setup a special court that would try the former military and civilian officials detained in the palace’s underground prison. In September, 1974 Emperor Haile Sellassie was removed from power and sent to prison in the Grand Palace. General Aman became the head of state but the policy maker was the council led by Major Mengistu and his men numbering about 120 men in the 4th Army Division. And there was division within the Council also. There were groups who wanted to push the change much faster and those who wanted a slow progress. Aman had supported the Derg members who wished to move slowly not to make mistakes. But Mengistu and some of his supporters wanted to move much faster to respond to the people. In November 1974 Derg wanted to make a drastic change but Major Mengistu did not consult with General Aman what he wanted to do. He invited Sub Council leaders from 3rd. Division of Harar and 2nd Dvision of Asmara and held a conference on February 23, 1974 in Grand Palace. The meeting was held for three days and nights eating and sleeping in that same hall. At the meeting, the names of the officials detained under the conference hall were called by the high school classmate of this writer, Major Getachew Shibeshi and asked council members whether they would vote for their execution. Finally Mengistu asked the council members to vote for the execution of his boss, General Aman Andom for treason. The decision on Aman brought confrontation between Mengistu and the sub-committee members from Harar and Asmara. The committee from Harar was led by the high school classmate of this writer, Captain Kadu Dule while the committee from Asmara was led by a major. The committee members from Harar and Asmara asked the council that General Aman to be detained until there was investigation that proves whether Mengistu’s allegation of treason was true or false. But Mengistu and few of his supporters insisted that the general should be executed that night with the other corrupted officials. There was a standoff that triggered confrontation with arms in the conference hall. It was this time that Mengistu announced few minutes of break. There was fear of shootout as everyone was armed. During the break Mengistu smoked while the committee leaders from Harar and Asmara met outside the hall and discuss what to do in order to avoid bloodshed. The only solution they found to save their lives was to accept Mengistu’s wishes of executing General Aman Andom. The general was in his house when this decision was made to execute him. Later that night the former officials to be executed brought from under the conference room and forced to ride trucks that took them to central prison. Mass grave was already dug by a bulldozer was ready when they arrived. They were forced to lineup as their body was riddled by bullets. Meanwhile an armed unit supported by tanks went to the home of General Aman and asked him to surrender. He refused and prepared to defend himself. But they killed him. The total number of officials executed that night was 60. One of them was the grandson of Emperor Haile Sellassie, Commodore Eskinder Desta, who was the Commander of Ethiopian Navy. The first bullet did not get him. He got seconds to plead to the firing squad, “please, please, don’t finish me.” But they did finish him. The execution of the officials was only the beginning, but not the end of the killings by the Derg. As soon as Major Mengistu eliminated the former officials, educated Ethiopians came home from Europe and North America to help. But they didn’t have agreement on how to help the military. One group had a plan to overthrow the military right away and take power. This was the plan of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP). The second group had a plan to train the military as well as the people in socialist ideology and finally take power. This group includes Maeson, Freedom, League, and few others. All of them agitated the military and the people that political power would be obtained by the muzzle of the gun. The top leaders of the EPRP remained under ground and rallied their men against council members and their supporters using posters, pamphlets and guns. They began to assassinate council members and their main supporter, members of Maeson.