Eliyas Kebede Zemedkun

14/08/2026

በአንዳንድ ድልብ መሀይሞች ምክንያት «አሰብ የማናት?» ከሚለው ጥያቄ «አዲስ አበባ የማናት?» ወደሚለው ተሸጋግረናል።

14/08/2026

The TPLF is the architect of destitution, relentlessly orchestrating an unending cycle of crises. Its sole, destructive expertise lies in chaos entrepreneurship.

14/08/2026

The Vampire of geopolitics and cancer of peace

14/08/2026

«ደርግን የጣለው ሻዕቢያና ወያኔ ሳይሆኑ፣ ደርግ ራሱን በራሱ ነው የበላው።»

በብዙዎች ዘንድ እንደሚታወቀው፣ የኢትዮጵያ ታሪክ ብዙውን ጊዜ በእውነተኛ ሁነቶች ላይ የተመሰረተ ልብወለድ እንደሆነ ይታወቃል።

የሚያሳዝነው ነገር ደግሞ የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝብ ለዘምናት ገዢዎቹ በሚሊዮኖች የሚቆጠሩ የሐሰት ትርክቶችን ሲመግቡት መኖሩ ነው። አብዛኛውን ጊዜ፣ ገዥዎች አንድን እውነተኛ የታሪክ ፍሬ ነገር ወይም ክስተት ማለቂያ ለሌለዉ የፖለቲካ ልብወለዳቸዉ መነሻ በማድረግ፤ እውነተኛ ትርክት በማስመሰል ለፖለቲካዊ ፍላጎቶቻቸው በሚመች መልኩ አዲስ ትርክት እየቀረጹ፤ እያሰፉና እያዛቡ ህዝቡን ኢንዶክትሪኔት ያደርጋሉ።

አለምታደል ሆኖ፣ ታሪክ በልዩ ልዩ መንገዶች የመተረክ፣ የመነገር፣ የመገንባት፣ የመፍረስና እንደገና በአዲስ መልክ የመዋቀር ዕድል አለው። በዚህም ምክንያት፣ በአንድ እውነተኛ የታሪክ ክስተት ላይ መሰረት በማድረግ የሐሰት ትርክቶችና የተሳሳቱ ትርጓሜዎች ሳቢያ በልዩልዩ አትራርክ ዘዴ፣ አንድ ነጠላ እውነተኛ ክስተት ሚሊዮን "ታሪክና ትርክት" ሊወጣዉ ይችላል። በዚህ ማብቂያ የሌለው የሐሰት ጉዞ ውስጥም፣ እውነተኛው የታሪክ ፍሬ ነገር በሃሰት ተሸፍኖ ለዘለዓለም ሊረሳ ይችላል።

በኢትዮጵያ ታሪክም የተከሰተው ይኸው ነው። የሀገሪቱን የራቀ ታሪክ እንተወውና፣ ከ30 ዓመት ያልበለጠ የቅርብ ጊዜ ታሪክ እንኳ በእኩይ የፖለቲካ ዓላማዎች ተጣሞ፣ ተዛብቶና እውነት በሚመስሉ የሐሰት ቀለሞች ተኳኩሎ ቀርቧል።

ለመሆኑ፣ የደርግን ሥርዓት የጣለው ማን ነው?

በዚህ ርዕሰ ጉዳይ ላይ፣ የተለያዩ አክተሮች ወይም ተዋናዮችና "የታሪክ ባለቤቶች ነን" ባዮች የተለያዩ ትርክቶችን በተለያየ ያቀረረብ ስልት ያቀርባሉ። ሻዕቢያ "እኛ ባንኖር ኖሮ ማን ያስበው ነበር?" ይላል። በሌላ በኩል ደግሞ ሕወሓት (ወያኔ) "ደርግን ያደቀቅነው እኛ ነን፤ የሌሎች አስተዋጽኦ የማሟያ ያህል ብቻ ነበር" ሲል ይሞግታል። የሚገርመው ደግሞ፣ ከአሮሞ ወገንም አንዳንዶች የዚህ ታሪካዊ ድል ተጋሪ እንደነበሩ ለማስመሰል ይሞክራሉ! ጉድ እኮ ነው!

እናም፣ ጥያቄው ደርግን የጣለው ማን ነው? ለምን? እንዴት? እና መቼ?
ለዚህ መልስ ለመስጠት፣ አጠቃላይ ሁኔታውን ግልጽ ለማድረግ የሚረዳ ሌላ መሰረታዊ ጥያቄ እንጠይቅ።

ከሁሉ አስቀድሞ፡ ደርግ እራሱ ማን ነበር?
ምክንያቱም መጀመሪያ ይሄ መታወቅ አለበት
ለዚህ ጥያቄ የሚሰጠው መልስ የዚያን ዘመን የፖለቲካ፣ የማህበራዊና የወታደራዊ ገጽታ ለመረዳት ይረዳል።

እንደገና፣ ደርግ ማን ነበር ወደሚለው ስንመለስ

ምናልባትም አጭሩ መልስ፡ ደርግ «ራሱን በራሱ የሚበላ የፖለቲካና ወታደራዊ ኃይል ነበር» የሚለው ነው።

ይሄን ለመረዳት የውቅቱን "አብዮት ልጆቿን ትበላለች" የሚለውን መፈክር ማስታወስ ብቻ በቂ ነዉ። እንደ "ቀይ ሽብር" እና "ነጭ ሽብር" ያሉ በርካታ የሽብርና የፀረ-ሽብር መፈክሮችም መረሳት የለባቸዉም።

ሁላችንም እንደምናውቀው፣ ደርግ ወደ ሥልጣን የመጣው በእድሜ የገፉት ንጉሥ ቀዳማዊ ኃይለ ሥላሴ መምራት ባለመቻላቸውና መንግስታቸዉ ደካማ በመሆኑ ከዚም ጋር ተያይዞ በተፈጠረው የሥልጣን ክፍተት ደርግ ወደ ስልጣን የመጣዉ በመፈንቅለ መንግሥት ነው።

ከተመሠረተ በኋላ ወዲያውኑ የፈጠሩትን ሰዎች መግደል ጀመረ። የሚከተሉትን ግድያዎች እናስታዉስ፦

ጄኔራል ተፈሪ በንቲ

ጄኔራል አማን አንዶም

ኮሎኔል አጥናፉ አባተ

እናም "ራሱን በራሱ የሚበላ ሥርዓት" ስል ይህንን ማለቴ ነው።

ይህ አሳዛኝ አካሄድ ቀጥሎ፤ ይልቁንም እስከ ሥርዓቱ የመጨረሻ ሰዓታት ድረስ ቀጥሏል። በሂደትም የፖለቲካ ግድያ ወደ ወታደራዊ ካምፖች ሰርጎ በመግባት፣ "ፀረ-አብዮት"፣ "ፀረ-መንግሥቱ"፣ "ፀረ-ሶሻሊዝም" ወይም "የሻዕቢያና የወያኔ ተላላኪ" በሚል ሰበብ የሺዎችን ህይወት ቀጥፏል። ይህም አሰቃቂ መጠፋፋትና ግድያዎችን አስከትሏል።

ሻዕቢያና ሕወሓት (ወያኔ) እነማን ነበሩ?

ከሻዕቢያ ስንጀምር። ሻዕቢያ ከመመስረቱ በፊት አስቅድሞ ከነበረው የእስላማዊ ፖሊቲካ አራማጅ ግንባር ከጀብሃ (ELF) ተገንጥሎ የወጣ የጎሪላ ስብስብ ነው። በኋላ ላይ ጀብሃ ዓለም አቀፋዊ፣ ቀጣናዊና ሀገራዊ ቅቡልነቱን አጥቶ ጠፋ። አብዛኛዉ አባላቱ በሻዕቢያ ተገደሉ — በመጨረሻም ለታሪክ ማስታወሻ ያክል እንኳን ሳይቀር ወደመ። በመቀጠልም ሻዕቢያ በኤርትራ ዋናው የደፈጣ ተዋጊ ኃይል ሆኖ ወጣ።

አፋቤት፣ ሽሬ እና የደርግ ራስን በራስ የማጥፋት ሂደት

በኢትዮጵያ ዘመን አቆጣጠር፣ ሻዕቢያ እስከ 1970ዎቹ መገባደጃ ድረስ ከደርግ ጋር መደበኛ ውጊያ አድርጎ አያውቅም። ለብዙ አስርት ዓመታት ሻዕቢያ ታሪኩን ያሳለፈው በአልጌና እና በናቅፋ ተራራዎች፣ እንዲሁም በሳህል በረሃ በቀበሮ ጉድጓዶች ውስጥ ከፍልፈልና ከአይጦች ጋር ነው።

በወቅቱ ሻቢያ የደፈጣ ጥቃቶችን ያካሂድ የነበረ ሲሆን፣ አልፎ አልፎም በወታደራዊ ኮንቮዮች እና በመንግሥት መሠረተልማቶች ላይ የደፈጣ ጥቃት ይሰነዝር ነበር። ይህ ለብዙ ዓመታት የቀጠለ ሲሆን፣ በወቅቱ መንግሥት ለዚህ እኩይ ተግባር ተገቢዉን ትኩረት አልሰጠም ነበር።

ምክንያቱም በዚያን ዘመን መንግሥት የዚያድ ባሬን ወራሪ ኃይል በመዋጋት ተጠምዶ ነበር። በተደጋጋሚ ሻዕቢያ እስከ ቀይ ባሕር ዳርቻ ጠረፍ ድረስ ተገፍቶ፣ እንደውም ኤርትራን ሙሉ በሙሉ ለቆ ወደ ጎረቤት ሀገር ሱዳን እስከመግባት ደርሶ ያዉቃል።

የዚያድ ባሬን ወረራ ድል ካደረገ በኋላ፣ ደርግ ኤርትራን ከአማፂያን ለማፅዳት ትልቅ ዘመቻ ከፈተ። ዘመቻው ሲጀመር በቀይ ኮኮብ ዘመቻ ሻዕቢያ ከኤርትራ ሊጠፋ ምንም አልቀረውም ነበር፤ በቀሩት ጥቂት የተራራማ ቦታዎችና የበረሃ ቋጥኞ ብቻ እንዲወሰን ተደርጎ ነበር።

ነገር ግን፣ ይህ ውጤት ከተገኘ በኋላ፣ መንግሥት ያለ ምንም ግልጽ ወታደራዊና ፖለቲካዊ ዓላማ ዘመቻውን በድንገት አቆመው። አንዳንዶች እንደሚሉት መንግሥት አማፂያኑን ሙሉ በሙሉ ለማጥፋት ያልፈለገበት ምክንያት መንግሥቱ ኃይለማሪያም የጦር ኃይሉ በጣም እንዳይጠናከር ስለፈለገ ነው ይላሉ።

ይህም የሆነበት ምክንያት በዋናነት የመፈንቅለ መንግሥት ሥጋትን ለማስወገድ ነበር። መንግሥቱ እራሱ በመፈንቅለ መንግሥት ወደ ሥልጣን ስለመጣ ከፍተኛ የመፈንቅለ መንግሥት ሥጋት ነበረበት።

የሚገርመው ደግሞ፣ በዚያን ጊዜ የነበሩት ወታደራዊ ጄኔራሎችና የጦር አመራሮች በሁሉም ረገድ ከእሱ በደረጃና በልምድ ይበልጡ ነበር፤ በመሆኑም በሰላም ጊዜ መፈንቅለ መንግሥት ሊጠነስሱብኝ ይችላሉ በሚል ስጋት በሰላም እረፍት አግኝተዉ ሲኖሩ ማየት አይፈልግም ነበር። ለዛ ነው ባገኘው አጋጣሚ ሁሉ ተጠቅሞ በሰበባሰበቡ አብዛኞቹን የገደለበት ምክንያት።

የአፋቤት ውድቀትና የጄኔራል ታሪኩ ላይኔ ግድያ

በኋላም በ1980 ዓ.ም. ገደማ፣ ሻዕቢያ እንደገና በመደራጀት በአፋቤት በሚገኘው የጦር ሠራዊት ላይ ድንገተኛ ማጥቃት ሰነዘረ። አፋቤት «የናደው ዕዝ» ተብሎ የሚጠራውና በጣም የታጠቀና የሰለጠነ ሠራዊት የሚገኝበት ወታደራዊ ካምፕ ነበር። በዚያን ጊዜ የአፋቤት ካምፕ አዛዥ የነበሩት ጄኔራል ታሪኩ ላይኔ ነበሩ — እሳቸው ጀግና፣ ሀገር ወዳድና ልምድ ያላቸው የትግራይ ተወላጅ ጄኔራል እንዲሁም በወታደራዊ አመረር ብቃት የዘመኑ ተፅዕኖ ፈጣሪ ግለሰብ ነበሩ።

በኋላም በመጋቢት 1980 ዓ.ም የናደው ዕዝን እንዲረከቡ በተሾሙት ኮሎኔል ጌታነህ ኃይሌ ተተኩ። ብርጋዴር ጄኔራል ታሪኩ ላይኔ ግን በመንግሥቱ ኃይለማሪያም ቀጥተኛ ትእዛዝ በየካቲት 1980 ዓ.ም ተገደሉ። ከመንግሥቱ በላይ ዝና እያገኙ ስለመጡ አይወዳቸውም ነበር። በመሆኑም መንግሥቱ ሊያስወግዳቸው ፈልጎ ነበር፤ በኋላም ተገደሉና "በሠራዊቱ ላይ ወንጀል የፈጸሙ" ተብለው ተፈረጁ።

የሻዕቢያ ጥቃት የታቀደው ጄኔራል ታሪኩ ከተገደሉ ከአጭር ጊዜ በኋላ ነበር። ጄኔራል ታሪኩ ከተገደሉ በኋላ ደርግ በምትካቸው ስለ ኤርትራ መሬትና ጂኦግራፊ ምንም እውቀት የሌላቸውን ኮሎኔል ጌታነህ ኃይሌን ተካ።

ከማዕከላዊ ኢትዮጵያ የመጡት እኚህ ሰው በቦታው የተሾሙት ለደርግ ባላቸው ታማኝነት ብቻ ነበር፤ ነገር ግን የጄኔራል ታሪኩ ላይኔን የማይተካ ሚና ሊሸፍኑ አልተቻላቸውም ነበር።

ኮሎኔል ጌታነህ ዕዙን ከተረከቡ ከአጭር ጊዜ በኋላ፣ ሻዕቢያ ከወርሃ መጋቢት 17 እስከ 20 ቀን 1980 ዓ.ም በአፋቤት ላይ ግዙፍ የተቀናጀ ወታደራዊ ጥቃት ሰነዘረ። በአፋቤት ደካማ አዛዥ መመደቡን የተረዳው ሻዕቢያ፣ ጥቃት በመክፈት የሠራዊቱን ከባድ መሣሪያዎች በሙሉ ተቆጣጠረ።

የሠራዊቱ አዛዥ ጥቃቶችን ለመመከት ብቃት የሌለው በመሆኑ፣ ሻዕቢያ በጥቂት መስዋዕትነት አስደናቂ ድል ተጎናጸፈ። ይህም ሻዕቢያ ወደ መደበኛ ጦርነት የተሸጋገረበት የመጀመሪያ ምእራፍ ሆነ።

ከዚያ በኋላ፣ አዳዲስ ከባድ መሣሪያዎችንና የጦር ቁሳቁሶችን ያገኙ ቢሆንም፣ ወደ አስመራ ዳርቻዎች ወይም ወደ ማናቸውም ዋና ዋና ከተሞች መድረስ አልቻሉም ነበር፤ አሁንም በበረሃና በተራራማ ቦታዎች ብቻ ተወሰነው ቆይተዋል።

የ1981 ዓ.ም የመፈንቅለ መንግሥት ሙከራና መዘዙ

ከጊዜ ወደ ጊዜ የደርግ ራሱን የማጥፋት ባህሪ እየጨመረ መጣ፤ እንደዉም ዝቅተኛና ከፍተኛ ወታደራዊ መኮንኖችን ጨምሮ በመቶዎች የሚቆጠሩ የራሱን ወታደሮች መግደል ጀመረ።

ከዚያም በ1981 ዓ.ም ለሁሉም አማፅያን ኃይሎች በር የከፈተ ታሪካዊ ክስተት ተከሰተ፦ የመላውን ወታደራዊ አመራር ያፈራረሰ የመፈንቅለ መንግሥት ሙከራ።

ግንቦት 8 ቀን 1981 ዓ.ም (May 16, 1989)፦ መንግሥቱ ኃይለማሪያም ወደ ምስራቅ ጀርመን (GDR) በይፋዊ ጉብኝት ላይ እያለ በአዲስ አበባ የመፈንቅለ መንግሥት ሙከራ ተደረገ።

በተመሳሳይ ጊዜ በአስመራ የሚገኙት የሁለተኛው አብዮታዊ ሠራዊት ከፍተኛ አዛዦች አመፁን ተቀላቀሉ።
ግንቦት 10–11 ቀን 1981 ዓ.ም (May 18–19, 1989)፦ በመንግሥቱ የደህንነት መዋቅር የሚመሩ ታማኝ ኃይሎች በአዲስ አበባ የሚገኘውን የመከላከያ ሚኒስቴር ግቢ ከከበቡ በኋላ አመፁ ከሸፈ።

በተጨማሪ በአስመራም ታማኝ ክፍሎችና የፀረ-መፈንቅለ መንግሥት ቡድኖች በመፈንቅለ መንግሥቱ አቀናባሪወች ላይ በመዞራቸው ደም አፋሳሽ ግጭት ተካሄደ።

ግንቦት 1982 ዓ.ም (May 1990)፦በወራት ጊዜያት 12 ከፍተኛ ጄኔራሎች በመንግሥቱ ትእዛዝ ተረሽነዋል።

መፈንቅለ መንግሥቱ በመጀመሪያ የታቀደው በአስመራ በሚገኘውና ከ90,000 በላይ ንቁ ወታደራዊ አባላት በነበሩት "ሁለተኛው አብዮታዊ ጦር" ነበር። መፈንቅለ መንግሥቱ አዲስ አበባ የደረሰ ቢሆንም ባልተጠበቀና አሳዛኝ ሁኔታ ሲከሽፍ፤ ይህም የኢትዮጵያ አየር ኃይል ዋና አዛዥ ጄኔራል አምሃ ደስታንና የይምድር ጦር ጠቅላይ አዛዥ የነበሩትን ጄኔራል መርዕድ ንጉሤን ጨምሮ የበርካታ ከፍተኛ ወታደራዊ ጄኔራሎችን ሕይወት ቀጥፏል።

በተጨማሪም ቁጥራቸው በዉል ያልታወቀ ኮሎኔሎች ታስረውና ተገድለዋል፤ አብዛኞቹ በአስመራ በነበረው የፀረ-መፈንቅለ መንግሥት እርምጃ በራሳቸው ወታደሮች ተገድለዋል።

በመፈንቅለ መንግሥቱ ወቅት የተገደሉት ጄኔራሎችና ከፍተኛ መኮንኖች ስም ዝርዝር (ግንቦት 8–11 ቀን 1981 ዓ.ም)
እነዚህ ከፍተኛ መሪዎች በአዲስ አበባ የመከላከያ ሚኒስቴር ግቢ ውስጥ በተደረገው የተኩስ ልውውጥ ወይም በአስመራ በታማኝ ወታደሮች የተገደሉ ናቸዉ፦

Major General መርዕድ ንጉሤ – የኢትዮጵያ ጦር ኃይሎች ኤታማዦርሹም (አዲስ አበባ የመከላከያ ሚኒስቴር ግቢ ውስጥ የተገደሉ)

Major General አምሃ ደስታ – የኢትዮጵያ አየር ኃይል አዛዥ (አዲስ አበባ የመከላከያ ሚኒስቴር ግቢ ውስጥ የተገደሉ)

Major General ደምሴ ቡልቶ – በሁለተኛው አብዮታዊ ሠራዊት አዛዥ (አስመራ በታማኝ ወታደሮች የተገደሉ)

Major General ወርቁ ቸረነት – የሁለተኛው አብዮታዊ ሠራዊት ምክትል አዛዥ/ኤታማዦርሹም (አስመራ ውስጥ የተገደሉ)

Major General አበራ አበበ – በመከላከያ ሚኒስቴር የኦፕሬሽን መምሪያ ኃላፊ (አዲስ አበባ ውስጥ የተገደሉ)

Major General ከበደ ጋሼ – የሎጂስቲክስና ኢንጂነሪንግ መምሪያ አዛዥ (አዲስ አበባ ውስጥ የተገደሉ)

Brigadier General ቁምላቸው ጽጌ – የምድር ኃይል አዛዥ (በተኩስ ልውውጡ ወቅት የተገደሉ)

Brigadier General ክፍሌይዳ – በአስመራ የነበረ አዛዥ (አስመራ ውስጥ በተደረገው ውጊያ የተገደሉ)

Brigadier General ሰሎሞን ጋሻው – ከፍተኛ የአየር ኃይል አዛዥ (አስመራ ውስጥ የተገደሉ)

ከጦር ፍርድቤት ከችሎት በኋላ የተረሸኑ ከፍተኛ ጄኔራሎች (ግንቦት 1982 ዓ.ም)
መፈንቅለ መንግሥቱ ከከሸፈ በኋላ በደርዘን የሚቆጠሩ መኮንኖች ታሰረዋል፤ እንዲሁም በደርዘን የሚቆጠሩ ተገድለዋል። ከአንድ ዓመት በኋላ 12 ከፍተኛ ጄኔራሎች የሞት ፍርድ ተፈርዶባቸዋል፦

Major General ኃይሉ ገብረሚካኤል – የ1ኛው አብዮታዊ ሠራዊት አዛዥ
Major General ፋንታ በላይ – የኢንዱስትሪ ሚኒስትር (የቀድሞው የአየር ኃይል አዛዥ)
Brigadier General እንግዳ ተስፋዬ – የምድር ኃይል ኤታማዦርሹም
Brigadier General ንጉሤ ዘውዴ – የ3ኛው አብዮታዊ ሠራዊት አዛዥ
Brigadier General ታዬ ባላከር – የ4ኛው አብዮታዊ ሠራዊት አዛዥ
Brigadier General አዲስ አገላቸው – የ2ኛው አብዮታዊ ሠራዊት ምክትል አዛዥ
Brigadier General ደሳለኝ አበበ – የ6ኛው እግረኛ ክፍለ ጦር አዛዥ
Brigadier General ገብረክርስቶስ እንሹር – የ10ኛው እግረኛ ክፍለ ጦር አዛዥ
Brigadier General ወይንሸት በሻህ – ከፍተኛ የወታደራዊ ስታፍ መኮንን
Brigadier General ወርቁ አርያ – ከፍተኛ የወታደራዊ መኮንን
Brigadier General ለየው ተፈራ – ከፍተኛ የወታደራዊ መኮንን
Brigadier General ቡልቶ ፉፊ – ከፍተኛ የወታደራዊ መኮንን
Brigadier General ግርማ መሀሪ – ከፍተኛ የአየር ኃይል መኮንን

የተረሸኑ ዋና ዋና ከፍተኛ ኮሎኔሎችና መካከለኛ መኮንኖች
ከጄኔራሎቹ በተጨማሪ በደርዘን የሚቆጠሩ ኮሎኔሎች፣ ሌተና ኮሎኔሎችና የሜዳ አዛዦች ተገድለዋል፣ ተረሸነዋል ወይም ታስረዋል። ከእነዚህም መካከል የሚከተሉት ይገኙበታል፦

ኮሎኔል ፍቅሩ ወንዲሙ – በአስመራ የነበሩ ከፍተኛ የኦፕሬሽን አስተባባሪ (በፀረ-መፈንቅለ መንግሥት እርምጃ የተገደሉ)

ኮሎኔል አሸናፊ ገብረፃድቅ – የአየር ኃይል ግንኙነት መኮንን (የተረሸኑ)
ኮሎኔል ሰሎሞን ኪዳኔ – የ2ኛው አብዮታዊ ሠራዊት ከፍተኛ ስታፍ መኮንን (የተረሸኑ)
ኮሎኔል ታደሰ ተስፋዬ – የመካናይዝድ ክፍለ ጦር መኮንን (የተገደሉ/የተረሸኑ)

በጥቅሉ ከ100 በላይ የሚሆኑ መካከለኛ መረግ የላቸው መኮንኖች (ኮሎኔሎች፣ ሌተናል ኮሎኔሎችና ሜጆሮች) ታስረዋል፣ ማዕረጋቸውን ተገፈዋል ወይም ከሠራዊቱ ተባረዋል።

በአንድ ሳምንት ውስጥ ከ25 በላይ የሚሆኑ ልምድ ያላቸው ጄኔራሎችን ማጣት—በተለይም ከአንድ ዓመት በኋላ ከተረሸኑት 12 ጄኔራሎች ጋር ተደምሮ—የኢትዮጵያ ጦር አመራር ሙሉ በሙሉ ባዶ እንዲሆን አድርጎታል።

ይህን ተከተሎ የኢትዮጵያ ሠራዊት ያለ ከፍተኛ ወታደራዊ መሪዎች ሜዳለይ ተብትነ። አቶ መንግቱና የበታቾቹ ሀገሪቱን መምራት ጀመሩ። ይህም ለሻዕቢያ ተስፋ የቆረጠውን ሠራዊት ለማሸነፍ ትልቅ ዕድል ሰጠው። ጄኔራል ጥላሁን ክፍሌና ዓሊ ሓጂን ጨምሮ አንዳንዶች ከፍተኛ ጄኔራሎችም ለሻዕቢያ እጅ ሰጡ።

ልምድ ያላቸው የጦር ስትራቴጂስቶች በፖለቲካ ታማኞች በመተካታቸው የሠራዊቱ ሞራል ላሸቀ፤ ይህም በ1982 ዓ.ም ምፅዋን በፍጥነት ለማጣትና በመጨረሻም በግንቦት 1983 ዓ.ም የደርግ አገዛዝ ሙሉ በሙሉ መግርሰስ ምክንያት ሆኗል።

የሕወሓት ድልና የሽሬ ውድቀት

በ1967 ዓ.ም ከተመሠረተ በኋላ—ሕወሓት በትግራይ ተራሮች ውስጥ እዚህና እዚያ የሚሯሯጥ ተራ ወንበዴ ነበር። እንደሚታወቀው ሕወሓት የተቋቋመው የሻዕቢያ ተላላኪ ሆኖ ለማገልገል ነበር። እስከ 1974 ዓ.ም ድረስ የደፈጣ ዉጊያ ብቻ የሚያደርግ አቅመቢስ የሽፍታ ስብስብ ነበር።

በወቅቱ የደርግ መንግሥት ሙሉ ትኩረት በሻዕቢያ ላይ ብቻ ነበር፤ በዚያን ግዜ የሕወሓት ጥቃት መፈጸም አቅም አነስተኛ በመሆኑ የመንግሥትን ትኩረት የሚስብ ስላልነበር ጥቂት ወታደሮች ብቻ ነበር በትግራይ የተሰማሩት። ከገበሬ ላይ ማሽላና በቆሎ እየሰረቀ አልፎ አልፎ በወታደራዊ convoy ላይ ጥቃት በመሰንዘር ወደ ምሽጉ ይመለሳል።

ነገር ግን፣ በመጨረሻ በመጋቢት 1980 ዓ.ም ከሻዕቢያ የአፋቤት ሁኔታ ጋር ተመሳሳይ የሆነ አጋጣሚ ወያኔም አገኘ። የሻዕቢያ ዕድል በአፋቤት እንደተወሰነው ሁሉ፣ የሕወሓት ታሪክም በየካቲት 1981 ዓ.ም በሽሬ ተቀየረ።

በሽሬ፣ በ3ኛው አብዮታዊ ሠራዊት አዛዥ ማጆር ጄኔራል ሙላቱ ነጋሽና በሰሜን ዕዝ አዛዥ ማጆር ጄኔራል ደምሴ ቡልቶ ሥር የሚመራ "604ኛ ኮር" የተባለ ጠንካራ የጦር ክፍል ነበር። እንደ አለመታደል ሆኖ ይህ ኃያል ጦር የሚመራው ምንም ዓይነት የሞራልም ሆነ የእዉቀት ስብእና በሌለው ሰው ነበር፦ እሱም ሻምበል ለገሰ አስፋው ይባላል።

ለገሰ ለመንግሥቱ ጭፍን ታማኝ የሆነ፣ ነገር ግን ምንም ዓይነት የወታደራዊ እውቀት የሌለው ሰው ነበር። ለገሰ አብዛኛውን የአምሃራ ክልል ጨምሮ በትግራይ የሚገኘውን መላውን ሠራዊት እንዲመራ ተሾሞ ነበር። በእሱ አሳፋሪ የሆነ የመሪነት ብቃት ማነስ ምክንያት፣ 604ኛው ኮር በሕወሓት እጅ ወድቆ በግፍ ተደመሰሰ።

ከዛም በኋላ ሕወሓት ታሪካዊ ድልና ቁጥራቸው በርካታ የሆኑ ከባድ መሣሪያዎችን በማግኘት በ1981 ዓ.ም ትግራይን መቆጣጠር ቻለ።
በመሰረቱ በመንመግስት በኩል ሆን ተብሎ ትግራይ እንዲለቀቅ መደረጉም መረሳት የለበትም።

የኃያሉ አገዛዝ ራስን የማጥፋት ሂደት ማጠቃለያ

ሕወሓት በሽሬ ጦርነት ያገኛቸውን ከባድ መሣሪያዎች በመጠቀም በወሎና በደብረ ታቦር ላይ ግዙፍ ጥቃት ጀመረ። ያስተውሉ፣ በዚያን ጊዜ ዓለም አቀፋዊ የኃይል ሚዛን ለደርግ የሚመች አልነበረም። የሶቪየት ሕብረት እየፈረሰ ነበር፤ ይህም የደርግን የውጭ ድጋፍ አደጋ ላይ ጣለው። ከሩሲያ የሚመጡ የወታደራዊ መሣሪያዎችም አቆሙ። በተመሳሳይ ጊዜ አሜሪካውያን ፀረ-ሶሻሊስት ፕሮጀክቶቻቸውን አጠናክረዉ የሚያራምዱበት ግዜ ነበር፤ ደርግም የዚህ ለውጥ ሰለባ ሆነ። ኢኮኖሚውም እየወደቀ ነበር፤

በተጭማሪም የሲቪሎችና የወታደራዊ መሪዎችን ግድያ ተከተሎ የውስጥ የህዝብ ቅቡልነቱም ተሸርሽሮ ነበር።

በመጨረሻዎቹ ሰዓታት እንኳ፣ መንግሥቱ ወደ ዚምባብዌ ከኮበለለ በኋላ፣ ሻዕቢያ ወደ አስመራ መድረስ አልቻለም ነበር፤ ሕወሓትም በጋምቤላና በቤኒሻንጉል ጉሙዝ ይዋጋ ነበር። ስለዚህ፣ ኃያሉን ደርግ በእርግጥ የጣለው ማን ነው?

መልሱ፦ ደርግ ራሱን በራሱ ነበር በፖለቲካውም ሆነ በወታደራዊው መስክ እራሱን ያወደመዉ።

ነገር ግን ሕዝብ ሁልጊዜ የአሸናፊዎችን ትርክት ስለሚሰማ ሻዕቢያና ሕወሓት ሐሰት ሲናገሩ ቆይተዋል። አሸናፊው ወገን ሕጋዊ የታሪክ ተራኪ ይሆናል፤ ስለዚህ በእውነተኛ ታሪክ ላይ የተመሰረተ ልብ-ወለድ ለኢትዮጵያውያን ተነገረ—ሕወሓትና ሻዕቢያ ኃያሉን ደርግ ያሸነፉት በአስደናቂ ጀግንነትና ወታደራዊ ብቃታቸው እንደሆነ ተደርጎ ተተረከ።

ይሁን እንጂ የዚህ ልብ-ወለድ እውነተኛው መነሻ ታሪክ፦ አዎ በእርግጥ፣ ደርግ ከሻዕቢያና ከሕወሓት ጋር ተዋግቶ በመጨረሻም ሥልጣኑን አጥቷል።

ነገር ግን "በእዉነቱ ደርግን ያሸነፋቸው ማን ነው?" የሚለው ጥያቄ የተሰጠዉ መልስ በሕወሓትና በሻዕቢያ የተፈበረከ ልብ-ወለድ ነው።

ሃቁ ግን ደርግ ራሱን በራሱ የበላ ሥርዓት ነበር፤ ራሱን በፖለቲካውም ሆነ በወታደራዊው መስክ በልቶ አጥፍቷል። እውነት መራራ ናት።

በኤልያስ ከበደ ዘመድኩን

13/08/2026

13/08/2026

"ደርግን የጣለው ሻዕቢያና ወያኔ ሳይሆኑ፣ ደርግ ራሱን በራሱ ነው የበላው።"
As it is known by many, Ethiopian history is often a fiction based on a true story. Unfortunately, the Ethiopian nation has been fed millions of lies—lies that carry the backing of ruling powers. Usually, regimes take a single historical fact or incident as a starting point for their endless fiction: a narrative based on some elements of a true story, which they then expand and remake into a new history that befits their political motives.

Unluckily, history is susceptible to being interpreted, reinterpreted, constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed in various ways. Consequently, a single historical fact or occurrence can become millions of "histories" through these reconstructions, deconstructions, and misinterpretations. Through this endless journey of lies, the true facts are buried in the dust and forgotten eternally.

This is precisely what happened to the history of Ethiopia. Let alone the distant history of the country, even recent history—events from no more than 30 years ago—has been maliciously mis-narrated, misrepresented, and interpreted with evil political aims, polished with lies that resemble truth.

So, who actually overthrew the mighty Derg regime?
On this subject, different actors and so-called stakeholders of history tell different stories with different tones. The Shaebia (EPLF) says, "If not for us, who could have even imagined it?" Meanwhile, the TPLF claims, "We are the ones who crushed the Derg, and the contributions of others were merely supplementary struggles." Amazingly, even some from the Oromo camp also attempt to claim as if they were partakers in this historic feat! Wonders shall never end!

So, again, the question remains: who defeated the Derg? Why, how, and when? To answer this, let us ask another important question that helps clarify the entire scenario.
First and Foremost: Who Was the Derg?
The answer to this provides a general highlight for understanding the political, social, and military landscape of that era.
Again, who was the Derg?

Perhaps the shortest answer is that the Derg was a self-eating politico-military power. Remember the motto of the time: "Abiyot Lijochuwan Tibelalech" (The Revolution eats its own children). Several terror and counter-terror slogans were used, such as Red Terror and White Terror.
As we all know, the Derg came to power through a coup, filling the power vacuum created by the ineffectiveness and incapacity of the aged monarch, His Majesty Haile Selassie I. Immediately after its formation, the Derg began killing its own makers. Recall the killings of:
General Teferi Banti
General Aman Andom
Colonel Atnafu Abate

This is what I mean by a "self-eating system."

This unfortunate pattern did not stop; rather, it continued until the final hours of the regime. Eventually, political assassination entered the military camps, leading to the deaths of thousands in the name of being "anti-revolution," "anti-Mengistu," "anti-socialism," or "pro-Shaebia and TPLF." This resulted in hundreds of thousands of killings under the guise of thousands of different false accusations.
Who Were Shaebia and the TPLF?

Let us begin with Shaebia. Shaebia was a group of guerrilla fighters who defected from Jebaha (ELF), the Islamist liberation front that had existed for decades prior to the formation of Shaebia. Later, Jebaha lost its international, regional, and national legitimacy and disappeared—some of its members were killed by Shaebia—until it became merely a talk of history. Subsequently, Shaebia became the primary guerrilla force in Eritrea.

The Turning Point: Afabet, Shire, and the Self-Destruction of the Derg
According to the Ethiopian calendar, Shaebia was never engaged in conventional warfare until the late 1970s. For decades, Shaebia spent its history in the mountains of Algena and Nakfa, and in the holes of the Sahel desert with moles and rats.

They used to conduct "run and hit" attacks and occasionally ambushed military convoys and government bases. This persisted for decades, and the government was not serious about them at the time.

Because during those years, the government was busy fighting the invading forces of Siad Barre. And, occasionally, Shaebia was pushed to the edges of the Red Sea, even to the point of largely leaving Eritrea entirely to enter neighboring countries like Sudan.
After succeeding against Siad Barre, the Derg launched a major offensive to clear Eritrea of rebels. When the operation began, Shaebia was almost wiped out of Eritrea, remaining only in mountainous areas and desert pockets.

However, after achieving this, the government withheld the operation suddenly without clearly stated military and political objectives. Some say the reason the government was unwilling to fully wipe out the rebels was that Mengistu did not want the military to become too powerful, most importantly in order to thereby avert a potential coup. Mengistu was obsessed with coups because he himself had come to power through one. Amazingly, all military generals of the time were senior to him in every aspect, and he was too insecure to see them in peace because peacetime allows fermentation of a coup and the military will plot against him. That is why he killed many of them at every possible opportunity.

The Fall of Afabet and General Tariku Layne
Later on, around 1979 or 1980, Shaebia managed to reorganize and launched a sneaky, major offensive against the military in Afabet. Afabet was home to one of the most militarized and well-equipped army divisions, called Ye Nadew Iz. At that time, the commanding general of the Afabet camp was General Tariku Layne, a brave, patriot, and seasoned Tigrayan general—one of the most influential figures of the era. Later, he was replaced by Colonel Getaneh Haile, who was appointed to take over the Nadew Command in early March 1988, which corresponds to Yekatit / Megabit 1980 E.C. And Brigadier General Tariku Layne was executed under direct orders from Mengistu Hailemariam in mid-February 1988, which corresponds to Yekatit 1980 E.C. He was not liked by Mengistu because he was becoming more famous than Mengistu himself. Consequently, Mengistu wanted to eliminate him; later, he was killed and labeled a perpetrator against the military.

The Shaebia offensive was planned shortly after the death of General Tariku. After Tariku was killed, the Derg replaced him with an amateur, Colonel Getaneh Haile, who was unaware of the geography of Eritrea. This man, who came from central Ethiopia, was placed there solely because of his loyalty to the Derg, yet he could not replace the indispensable role of General Tariku Layne.
Shortly after Colonel Getaneh took command, the Shaebia (EPLF) launched their major offensive at Afabet from March 17 to 20, 1988, which corresponds to Megabit 1980 E.C. Knowing that a foolish commander had arrived in Afabet, Shaebia launched a major mixed military offensive and captured all the military's heavy weapons.

They achieved this in a surprising way with small sacrifice because the army commander was too naive to counter them. That was the beginning of Shaebia’s transition to conventional warfare.
Even then, despite their newly acquired heavy weapons and arsenals, they were unable to reach the edge of Asmara or the outskirts of any major city; they remained limited to desert and mountainous regions.

The 1981 Coup Attempt and Its Curse
Gradually, the self-eating nature of the Derg escalated, and it began killing thousands of its own soldiers, including both lower and high-ranking military officers. Then, in 1981 according to the Ethiopian calendar, an historic event occurred that favored all rebel forces: a coup attempt that shattered the entire military leadership.
May 16, 1989 (Miyazya 8, 1981 E.C.): The coup attempt was launched in Addis Ababa while Mengistu Hailemariam was away on an official visit to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Simultaneously, senior commanders of the Second Revolutionary Army in Asmara joined the rebellion.

May 18–19, 1989 (Miyazya 10–11, 1981 E.C.): The coup collapsed in Addis Ababa after loyalist forces (led by Mengistu's security apparatus) surrounded the Ministry of Defense. In Asmara, loyalist units and counter-coup factions turned against the coup leaders, resulting in a bloody purge.

May 1990 (Genbot 1982 E.C.): Following months of detention and a summary military trial, 12 top generals who survived the initial fighting were executed by firing squad on Mengistu’s orders.
The coup was first orchestrated in Asmara by the Huletegnaw Abiyotawiw Tor (the Second Revolutionary Army). This was one of the most powerful armies based in Eritrea, counting more than 90,000 active military personnel.

The coup reached Addis Ababa but failed unexpectedly in a tragic way, costing the lives of more than 25 senior military generals, including the Chief Commanding General of the Ethiopian Air Force, General Amha Desta, and the supreme commander of ground forces, General Merid Negussie. And also, an unknown number of colonels were arrested and killed, and others were killed in Asmara by their own soldiers in counter-coup actions.

List of High-Ranking Generals and Officers Killed
1. Generals Killed During the Coup (May 16–19, 1989)
These senior leaders were either killed during the gunbattle at the Ministry of Defense in Addis Ababa or assassinated/killed by loyalist counter-coup soldiers in Asmara:

Major General Merid Negussie – Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian Armed Forces (Killed at the Ministry of Defense, Addis Ababa)

Major General Amha Desta – Commander of the Ethiopian Air Force (Killed at the Ministry of Defense, Addis Ababa)

Major General Demissie Bulto – Commander of the Second Revolutionary Army in Asmara (Killed in Asmara by loyalist troops)

Major General Worku Cherenet – Deputy Commander / Chief of Staff of the Second Revolutionary Army (Killed in Asmara)

Major General Aberra Abebe – Head of Operations at the Ministry of Defense (Killed in Addis Ababa)

Major General Kebede Gashe – Commander of the Logistics and Engineering Department (Killed in Addis Ababa)

Brigadier General Kumilachew Tsige – Commander of the Ground Forces (Killed during the standoff)

Brigadier General Kefelegn Yida – Commander in Asmara (Killed during the fighting in Asmara)

Brigadier General Solomon Begashaw – Senior Air Force Commander (Killed in Asmara)

2. Senior Generals Executed After Trial (May 1990 / Genbot 1982 E.C.)

After the coup was crushed, dozens of officers were detained. A year later, 12 senior generals were sentenced to death and executed by firing squad:

Major General Hailu Gebre-Mikael – Commander of the 1st Revolutionary Army

Major General Fanta Belay – Minister of Industry (former Air Force Commander)

Major General Tesfaye Gebrekidan (Note: Executed officers included key regional command leaders; Tesfaye survived, but others below were executed)

Brigadier General Engida Tesfaye – Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces
Brigadier General Negussie Zewde – Commander of the 3rd Revolutionary Army

Brigadier General Taye Balaker – Commander of the 4th Revolutionary Army

Brigadier General Addis Agelachew – Deputy Commander of the 2nd Revolutionary Army

Brigadier General Desalegn Abebe – Commander of the 6th Infantry Division

Brigadier General Gebrechristos Unshur – Commander of the 10th Infantry Division

Brigadier General Yeweinshet Beshah – Senior Military Staff Officer
Brigadier General Worku Arya – Senior Military Officer

Brigadier General Leyew Teferra – Senior Military Officer

Brigadier General Bulto Fufi – Senior Military Officer

Brigadier General Girma Mehari – Senior Air Force Officer
3. Key Colonels and Mid-Level Officers

Alongside the generals, dozens of colonels, lieutenant colonels, and field commanders were either killed in action, executed, or imprisoned. Prominent among them were:

Colonel Fikru Wondimu – Senior operational coordinator in Asmara (Killed during counter-coup actions)

Colonel Ashenafi Gebre-Tsadik – Air Force liaison officer (Executed)
Colonel Solomon Kidane – Senior staff officer, 2nd Revolutionary Army (Executed)

Colonel Tadesse Tesfaye – Mechanized division officer (Killed/Executed)

Over 100+ middle-ranking officers (Colonels, Lt. Colonels, and Majors) were arrested, stripped of rank, or purged from the army following the events of 1981/1989.

The loss of over 25–30 experienced generals in a single week—combined with the ex*****on of 12 more a year later—completely gutted the leadership of the Ethiopian military. With veteran strategists gone and replaced by political loyalists, morale collapsed, leading directly to the rapid loss of Massawa (1990) and the total defeat of the Derg regime in May 1991 (Genbot 1983 E.C.).

Following this, the Ethiopian military was left empty of senior military leaders. Mr. Mengistu and his inferiors became in charge of the state. This gave Shaebia the momentum to succeed against a demoralized military. Some senior generals, including General Tilahun Kifle and Ali Hahaji, even defected to Shaebia.

The Rise of the TPLF and the Disaster at Shire
Amazingly, at that time—following its founding in 1967 E.C.—the TPLF was an irrelevant actor running here and there in the mountains of Tigray. As we know, the TPLF was established as a puppet of Shaebia. It was still conducting hit-and-run guerrilla fights until 1982 (1974 E.C.).

Under the top military hierarchy of Derg Commander-in-Chief Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam, Minister of Defense Major General Tesfaye Gebre Kidan, and Chief of Staff General Addis Tedla, the entire focus of the Derg government remained on Shaebia; only a small number of soldiers were deployed in Tigray because the TPLF was too irrelevant to command the government's attention. They were stealing corn and occasionally attacking military convoys in small groups before running back to their jackal holes.

However, they eventually found an opportunity similar to Shaebia’s experience at Afabet in Megabit 1980 E.C. Just as Shaebia’s fate was determined in Afabet, the TPLF’s history changed in Shire in Yekatit 1981 E.C. In Shire, operating under the Third Revolutionary Army commanded by Major General Mulatu Negash alongside Northern Command forces led by Major General Demissie Bulto, there was a strong army division called the 604 Corps. Unfortunately, this powerful force was led by one of the most useless men of the time: Shambel Legesse Asfaw.

Legesse was a hypocritical man, blindly loyal to Mengistu but possessing almost no military knowledge. He had been appointed to lead the entire army in Tigray, including a large part of the Amhara region. Due to his annoying lack of leadership skills, the 604 Corps fell prey to the TPLF and was brutally destroyed. Consequently, the TPLF acquired historic momentum and countless heavy weapons, managing to liberate Tigray in early 1982 according to the Ethiopian calendar.

The Self-Destruction of a Mighty Regime
Then, the TPLF began a major offensive in Wollo and Debre Tabor using the heavy weapons they gained as trophies from the battle of Shire. Remember, by that time, the international power balance was not favorable to the Derg. The USSR was collapsing, which put the Derg’s foreign support at risk. There were no more military shipments arriving from Russia. Simultaneously, the Americans were intensifying their anti-socialist projects, and the Derg became a victim of these shifts. The economy was also collapsing, and internal legitimacy had been eroded as a result of the killing of civilians and military leaders.

Even in the final hours, after Mengistu had fled to Zimbabwe, Shaebia was still unable to reach Asmara, and the TPLF was still fighting in Gambella and Benishangul-Gumuz. So, who truly defeated the mighty Derg?
The answer is: The Derg defeated itself, both politically and militarily.

Shaebia and the TPLF have been telling lies because people always listen to the winners. The winner becomes the legitimate storyteller; thus, a fiction based on a true story was told to Ethiopians—as if the TPLF and Shaebia had defeated the mighty Derg solely due to their astonishing bravery and military skills.

The factual element of this fiction is that, yes, the Derg fought wars with Shaebia and the TPLF and finally lost power. But the claim of who actually defeated them is the fiction—a fiction fabricated by the TPLF and Shaebia.

The Derg was a self-eating system; it destroyed itself politically and militarily. Truth is bitter.
By Eliyas Kebede Zemedkun

13/08/2026

"ደርግን የጣለው ሻዕቢያና ወያኔ ሳይሆኑ፣ ደርግ ራሱን በራሱ ነው የበላው።"

As it is known by many, Ethiopian history is often a fiction based on a true story. Unfortunately, the Ethiopian nation has been fed millions of lies—lies that carry the backing of ruling powers. Usually, regimes take a single historical fact or incident as a starting point for their endless fiction: a narrative based on some elements of a true story, which they then expand and remake into a new history that befits their political motives.

Unluckily, history is susceptible to being interpreted, reinterpreted, constructed, deconstructed, and reconstructed in various ways. Consequently, a single historical fact or occurrence can become millions of "histories" through these reconstructions, deconstructions, and misinterpretations. Through this endless journey of lies, the true facts are buried in the dust and forgotten eternally.

This is precisely what happened to the history of Ethiopia. Let alone the distant history of the country, even recent history—events from no more than 30 years ago—has been maliciously mis-narrated, misrepresented, and interpreted with evil political aims, polished with lies that resemble truth.

So, who actually overthrew the mighty Derg regime?

On this subject, different actors and so-called stakeholders of history tell different stories with different tones. The Shaebia (EPLF) says, "If not for us, who could have even imagined it?" Meanwhile, the TPLF claims, "We are the ones who crushed the Derg, and the contributions of others were merely supplementary struggles." Amazingly, even some from the Oromo camp also attempt to claim as if they were partakers in this historic feat! Wonders shall never end!

So, again, the question remains: who defeated the Derg? Why, how, and when? To answer this, let us ask another important question that helps clarify the entire scenario.

First and Foremost: Who Was the Derg?
The answer to this provides a general highlight for understanding the political, social, and military landscape of that era.

Again, who was the Derg?

Perhaps the shortest answer is that the Derg was a self-eating politico-military power. Remember the motto of the time: "Abiyot Lijochuwan Tibelalech" (The Revolution eats its own children). Several terror and counter-terror slogans were used, such as Red Terror and White Terror.

As we all know, the Derg came to power through a coup, filling the power vacuum created by the ineffectiveness and incapacity of the aged monarch, His Majesty Haile Selassie I. Immediately after its formation, the Derg began killing its own makers. Recall the killings of:

General Teferi Banti

General Aman Andom

Colonel Atnafu Abate

This is what I mean by a "self-eating system."

This unfortunate pattern did not stop; rather, it continued until the final hours of the regime. Eventually, political assassination entered the military camps, leading to the deaths of thousands in the name of being "anti-revolution," "anti-Mengistu," "anti-socialism," or "pro-Shaebia and TPLF." This resulted in hundreds of thousands of killings under the guise of thousands of different false accusations.

Who Were Shaebia and the TPLF?
Let us begin with Shaebia. Shaebia was a group of guerrilla fighters who defected from Jebaha (ELF), the Islamist liberation front that had existed for decades prior to the formation of Shaebia. Later, Jebaha lost its international, regional, and national legitimacy and disappeared—some of its members were killed by Shaebia—until it became merely a talk of history. Subsequently, Shaebia became the primary guerrilla force in Eritrea.

The Turning Point: Afabet, Shire, and the Self-Destruction of the Derg
According to the Ethiopian calendar, Shaebia was never engaged in conventional warfare until the late 1970s. For decades, Shaebia spent its history in the mountains of Algena and Nakfa, and in the holes of the Sahel desert with moles and rats.

They used to conduct "run and hit" attacks and occasionally ambushed military convoys and government bases. This persisted for decades, and the government was not serious about them at the time.

Because during those years, the government was busy fighting the invading forces of Siad Barre. And, occasionally, Shaebia was pushed to the edges of the Red Sea, even to the point of largely leaving Eritrea entirely to enter neighboring countries like Sudan.

After succeeding against Siad Barre, the Derg launched a major offensive to clear Eritrea of rebels. When the operation began, Shaebia was almost wiped out of Eritrea, remaining only in mountainous areas and desert pockets.

However, after achieving this, the government withheld the operation suddenly without clearly stated military and political objectives. Some say the reason the government was unwilling to fully wipe out the rebels was that Mengistu did not want the military to become too powerful, most importantly in order to thereby avert a potential coup. Mengistu was obsessed with coups because he himself had come to power through one. Amazingly, all military generals of the time were senior to him in every aspect, and he was too insecure to see them in peace because peacetime allows fermentation of a coup and the military will plot against him. That is why he killed many of them at every possible opportunity.

The Fall of Afabet and General Tariku Layne
Later on, around 1979 or 1980, Shaebia managed to reorganize and launched a sneaky, major offensive against the military in Afabet. Afabet was home to one of the most militarized and well-equipped army divisions, called Ye Nadew Iz. At that time, the commanding general of the Afabet camp was General Tariku Layne, a brave, patriot, and seasoned Tigrayan general—one of the most influential figures of the era. Later, he was replaced by Colonel Getaneh Haile, who was appointed to take over the Nadew Command in early March 1988, which corresponds to Yekatit / Megabit 1980 E.C. And Brigadier General Tariku Layne was executed under direct orders from Mengistu Hailemariam in mid-February 1988, which corresponds to Yekatit 1980 E.C. He was not liked by Mengistu because he was becoming more famous than Mengistu himself. Consequently, Mengistu wanted to eliminate him; later, he was killed and labeled a perpetrator against the military.

The Shaebia offensive was planned shortly after the death of General Tariku. After Tariku was killed, the Derg replaced him with an amateur, Colonel Getaneh Haile, who was unaware of the geography of Eritrea. This man, who came from central Ethiopia, was placed there solely because of his loyalty to the Derg, yet he could not replace the indispensable role of General Tariku Layne.

Shortly after Colonel Getaneh took command, the Shaebia (EPLF) launched their major offensive at Afabet from March 17 to 20, 1988, which corresponds to Megabit 1980 E.C. Knowing that a foolish general had arrived in Afabet, Shaebia launched a major mixed military offensive and captured all the military's heavy weapons.

They achieved this in a surprising way with small sacrifice because the army commander was too naive to counter them. That was the beginning of Shaebia’s transition to conventional warfare.

Even then, despite their newly acquired heavy weapons and arsenals, they were unable to reach the edge of Asmara or the outskirts of any major city; they remained limited to desert and mountainous regions.

The 1981 Coup Attempt and Its Curse
Gradually, the self-eating nature of the Derg escalated, and it began killing thousands of its own soldiers, including both lower and high-ranking military officers. Then, in 1981 according to the Ethiopian calendar, an historic event occurred that favored all rebel forces: a coup attempt that shattered the entire military leadership.

May 16, 1989 (Miyazya 8, 1981 E.C.): The coup attempt was launched in Addis Ababa while Mengistu Hailemariam was away on an official visit to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Simultaneously, senior commanders of the Second Revolutionary Army in Asmara joined the rebellion.

May 18–19, 1989 (Miyazya 10–11, 1981 E.C.): The coup collapsed in Addis Ababa after loyalist forces (led by Mengistu's security apparatus) surrounded the Ministry of Defense. In Asmara, loyalist units and counter-coup factions turned against the coup leaders, resulting in a bloody purge.

May 1990 (Genbot 1982 E.C.): Following months of detention and a summary military trial, 12 top generals who survived the initial fighting were executed by firing squad on Mengistu’s orders.

The coup was first orchestrated in Asmara by the Huletegnaw Abiyotawiw Tor (the Second Revolutionary Army). This was one of the most powerful armies based in Eritrea, counting more than 90,000 active military personnel. The coup reached Addis Ababa but failed unexpectedly in a tragic way, costing the lives of more than 25 senior military generals, including the Chief Commanding General of the Ethiopian Air Force, General Amha Desta, and the supreme commander of ground forces, General Merid Negussie. And also, an unknown number of colonels were arrested and killed, and others were killed in Asmara by their own soldiers in counter-coup actions.

List of High-Ranking Generals and Officers Killed
1. Generals Killed During the Coup (May 16–19, 1989)
These senior leaders were either killed during the gunbattle at the Ministry of Defense in Addis Ababa or assassinated/killed by loyalist counter-coup soldiers in Asmara:

Major General Merid Negussie – Chief of Staff of the Ethiopian Armed Forces (Killed at the Ministry of Defense, Addis Ababa)

Major General Amha Desta – Commander of the Ethiopian Air Force (Killed at the Ministry of Defense, Addis Ababa)

Major General Demissie Bulto – Commander of the Second Revolutionary Army in Asmara (Killed in Asmara by loyalist troops)

Major General Worku Cherenet – Deputy Commander / Chief of Staff of the Second Revolutionary Army (Killed in Asmara)

Major General Aberra Abebe – Head of Operations at the Ministry of Defense (Killed in Addis Ababa)

Major General Kebede Gashe – Commander of the Logistics and Engineering Department (Killed in Addis Ababa)

Brigadier General Kumilachew Tsige – Commander of the Ground Forces (Killed during the standoff)

Brigadier General Kefelegn Yida – Commander in Asmara (Killed during the fighting in Asmara)

Brigadier General Solomon Begashaw – Senior Air Force Commander (Killed in Asmara)

2. Senior Generals Executed After Trial (May 1990 / Genbot 1982 E.C.)
After the coup was crushed, dozens of officers were detained. A year later, 12 senior generals were sentenced to death and executed by firing squad:

Major General Hailu Gebre-Mikael – Commander of the 1st Revolutionary Army

Major General Fanta Belay – Minister of Industry (former Air Force Commander)

Major General Tesfaye Gebrekidan (Note: Executed officers included key regional command leaders; Tesfaye survived, but others below were executed)

Brigadier General Engida Tesfaye – Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces

Brigadier General Negussie Zewde – Commander of the 3rd Revolutionary Army

Brigadier General Taye Balaker – Commander of the 4th Revolutionary Army

Brigadier General Addis Agelachew – Deputy Commander of the 2nd Revolutionary Army

Brigadier General Desalegn Abebe – Commander of the 6th Infantry Division

Brigadier General Gebrechristos Unshur – Commander of the 10th Infantry Division

Brigadier General Yeweinshet Beshah – Senior Military Staff Officer

Brigadier General Worku Arya – Senior Military Officer

Brigadier General Leyew Teferra – Senior Military Officer

Brigadier General Bulto Fufi – Senior Military Officer

Brigadier General Girma Mehari – Senior Air Force Officer

3. Key Colonels and Mid-Level Officers
Alongside the generals, dozens of colonels, lieutenant colonels, and field commanders were either killed in action, executed, or imprisoned. Prominent among them were:

Colonel Fikru Wondimu – Senior operational coordinator in Asmara (Killed during counter-coup actions)

Colonel Ashenafi Gebre-Tsadik – Air Force liaison officer (Executed)

Colonel Solomon Kidane – Senior staff officer, 2nd Revolutionary Army (Executed)

Colonel Tadesse Tesfaye – Mechanized division officer (Killed/Executed)

Over 100+ middle-ranking officers (Colonels, Lt. Colonels, and Majors) were arrested, stripped of rank, or purged from the army following the events of 1981/1989.

The loss of over 25–30 experienced generals in a single week—combined with the ex*****on of 12 more a year later—completely gutted the leadership of the Ethiopian military. With veteran strategists gone and replaced by political loyalists, morale collapsed, leading directly to the rapid loss of Massawa (1990) and the total defeat of the Derg regime in May 1991 (Genbot 1983 E.C.).

Following this, the Ethiopian military was left empty of senior military leaders. Mr. Mengistu and his inferiors became in charge of the state. This gave Shaebia the momentum to succeed against a demoralized military. Some senior generals, including General Tilahun Kifle and Ali Hahaji, even defected to Shaebia.

The Rise of the TPLF and the Disaster at Shire
Amazingly, at that time—following its founding in 1967 E.C.—the TPLF was an irrelevant actor running here and there in the mountains of Tigray. As we know, the TPLF was established as a puppet of Shaebia. It was still conducting hit-and-run guerrilla fights until 1982 (1974 E.C.). Under the top military hierarchy of Derg Commander-in-Chief Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam, Minister of Defense Major General Tesfaye Gebre Kidan, and Chief of Staff General Addis Tedla, the entire focus of the Derg government remained on Shaebia; only a small number of soldiers were deployed in Tigray because the TPLF was too irrelevant to command the government's attention. They were stealing corn and occasionally attacking military convoys in small groups before running back to their jackal holes.

However, they eventually found an opportunity similar to Shaebia’s experience at Afabet in Megabit 1980 E.C. Just as Shaebia’s fate was determined in Afabet, the TPLF’s history changed in Shire in Yekatit 1981 E.C. In Shire, operating under the Third Revolutionary Army commanded by Major General Mulatu Negash alongside Northern Command forces led by Major General Demissie Bulto, there was a strong army division called the 604 Corps. Unfortunately, this powerful force was led by one of the most useless men of the time: Shambel Legesse Asfaw. Legesse was a hypocritical man, blindly loyal to Mengistu but possessing almost no military knowledge. He had been appointed to lead the entire army in Tigray, including a large part of the Amhara region. Due to his annoying lack of leadership skills, the 604 Corps fell prey to the TPLF and was brutally destroyed. Consequently, the TPLF acquired historic momentum and countless heavy weapons, managing to liberate Tigray in early 1982 according to the Ethiopian calendar.

The Self-Destruction of a Mighty Regime
Then, the TPLF began a major offensive in Wollo and Debre Tabor using the heavy weapons they gained as trophies from the battle of Shire. Remember, by that time, the international power balance was not favorable to the Derg. The USSR was collapsing, which put the Derg’s foreign support at risk. There were no more military shipments arriving from Russia. Simultaneously, the Americans were intensifying their anti-socialist projects, and the Derg became a victim of these shifts. The economy was also collapsing, and internal legitimacy had been eroded as a result of the killing of civilians and military leaders.

Even in the final hours, after Mengistu had fled to Zimbabwe, Shaebia was still unable to reach Asmara, and the TPLF was still fighting in Gambella and Benishangul-Gumuz. So, who truly defeated the mighty Derg?

The answer is: The Derg defeated itself, both politically and militarily.

Shaebia and the TPLF have been telling lies because people always listen to the winners. The winner becomes the legitimate storyteller; thus, a fiction based on a true story was told to Ethiopians—as if the TPLF and Shaebia had defeated the mighty Derg solely due to their astonishing bravery and military skills. The factual element of this fiction is that, yes, the Derg fought wars with Shaebia and the TPLF and finally lost power. But the claim of who actually defeated them is the fiction—a fiction fabricated by the TPLF and Shaebia.

The Derg was a self-eating system; it destroyed itself politically and militarily. Truth is bitter.

By Eliyas Kebede Zemedkun