Almayahu Haile
Encyclopedia
Captain Almayahu Haile was a member of the Derg
, the military junta that ruled Ethiopia
during the Ethiopian Revolution.
An Amhara
, Almayahu was a graduate of the Dina Police College in Addis Ababa
and of Haile Selassie University (now Addis Ababa University
); his education leads the Ottaways to suspect that this was a factor in his feud with Mengistu Haile Mariam
. They comment that he "was certainly no moderate and as remembered by his university professors as a very articulate, argumentative student who believed in radical policies as the only means to bring even moderate change to a feudal country such as Ethiopia." At the time of the Ethiopian Revolution, Almayahu was a member of the Ethiopian police force.
He was a key member of the Derg, and was chairman of the committee for administrative affairs. After the reorganization of the Derg announced 29 December 1976, Almayahu became its Secretary-General, "a post with such ill-defined limits that it could confer vast powers." In short, Almayahu Haile appeared at this point to be the most powerful member of the Derg, more powerful than his rival Mengistu.
However according to LaFort, Almayahu made a critical mistake by underestimating or even despising him; "it was out of the question that he would passively accept his personal elimination and the defeat of his views." And the events of 3 February 1977 put Mengistu back in control. At a meeting between Mengistu and his opponents, who included not only Almayahu Haile but chairman General Tafari Benti
and a number of leading members of the Derg, gunfire erupted leaving both Almayahu and General Tafari, as well as six other leaders of the Derg dead. Mengistu afterwards broadcast on Radio Ethiopia
that Almayahu and his dead compatriots had attempted a "fascist coup d'etat in the capital identical to what had taken place in Chile", and labeling them "fifth columnists" of the Ethiopian Democratic Union and Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party
rebel groups.
Derg
The Derg or Dergue was a Communist military junta that came to power in Ethiopia following the ousting of Haile Selassie I. Derg, which means "committee" or "council" in Ge'ez, is the short name of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, a committee of...
, the military junta that ruled Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
during the Ethiopian Revolution.
An Amhara
Amhara people
Amhara are a highland people inhabiting the Northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. Numbering about 19.8 million people, they comprise 26% of the country's population, according to the 2007 national census...
, Almayahu was a graduate of the Dina Police College in Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
and of Haile Selassie University (now Addis Ababa University
Addis Ababa University
Addis Ababa University is a university in Ethiopia. It was originally named "University College of Addis Ababa" at its founding, then renamed for the former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I in 1962, receiving its current name in 1975.Although the university has six of its seven campuses within...
); his education leads the Ottaways to suspect that this was a factor in his feud with Mengistu Haile Mariam
Mengistu Haile Mariam
Mengistu Haile Mariam is a politician who was formerly the most prominent officer of the Derg, the Communist military junta that governed Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987, and the President of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from 1987 to 1991...
. They comment that he "was certainly no moderate and as remembered by his university professors as a very articulate, argumentative student who believed in radical policies as the only means to bring even moderate change to a feudal country such as Ethiopia." At the time of the Ethiopian Revolution, Almayahu was a member of the Ethiopian police force.
He was a key member of the Derg, and was chairman of the committee for administrative affairs. After the reorganization of the Derg announced 29 December 1976, Almayahu became its Secretary-General, "a post with such ill-defined limits that it could confer vast powers." In short, Almayahu Haile appeared at this point to be the most powerful member of the Derg, more powerful than his rival Mengistu.
However according to LaFort, Almayahu made a critical mistake by underestimating or even despising him; "it was out of the question that he would passively accept his personal elimination and the defeat of his views." And the events of 3 February 1977 put Mengistu back in control. At a meeting between Mengistu and his opponents, who included not only Almayahu Haile but chairman General Tafari Benti
Tafari Benti
Brigadier General Tafari Benti was the Head of State of Ethiopia , and chairman of the Derg, the ruling junta. His official title was Chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative Council.- Life :...
and a number of leading members of the Derg, gunfire erupted leaving both Almayahu and General Tafari, as well as six other leaders of the Derg dead. Mengistu afterwards broadcast on Radio Ethiopia
Radio Ethiopia
Radio Ethiopia is an album by the Patti Smith Group, released in October 1976 on Arista Records.- History :Radio Ethiopia was the followup record to Smith's widely acclaimed debut Horses. In interviews surrounding the album's release, Smith explained that she chose producer Jack Douglas in hopes of...
that Almayahu and his dead compatriots had attempted a "fascist coup d'etat in the capital identical to what had taken place in Chile", and labeling them "fifth columnists" of the Ethiopian Democratic Union and Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party
Founded in April 1972, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party was a prominent Marxist-Leninist organization in Ethiopia during the 1970s. It is also known as "Ihapa" from the acronym in Amharic...
rebel groups.