Tesfaye Gebre Kidan
Encyclopedia
Tesfaye Gebre Kidan was an Ethiopia
n general who was President of Ethiopia for one week in late May 1991.
Tesfaye was a student at Holetta Military Academy, where he met Mengistu Haile Mariam
; according to Gebru Tareke, along with Legesse Asfaw and Gebreyes Wolde Hana Tesfaye was part of Mengistu's inner circle, his "pals Mengistu knew more intimately in less pressing times, men who played and drank with him and stood by him during the bloody factional days of the Derg." While a colonel, Tesfaye was a member of the Derg
, the military committee which seized power from Emperor Haile Selassie, and which would later order the executions of his officials and allegedly the murder of the deposed Emperor himself. He had military successes in Somalia
and Eritrea
, notably as commander of the forces around Jijiga
during the Ogaden War
.
Elevated to the rank of Lt. General, Tesfaye Gebre Kidan went on to serve as the long time Minister of Defence
, then on 14 May 1988 was made military governor and general commander in Eritrea
. He was recalled to Addis Ababa
from Asmara
to serve on the military tribunal, which tried the high ranking officers who had tried to depose President Mengistu in 1989 following the decisive defeat at the Battle of Shire. He became vice-President of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
until 21 May 1991, when Mengistu fled as rebel forces closed in on the capital, making him acting president.
Upon assuming power, General Tesfaye Gebre Kidan found his government falling apart as the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
marched into Addis Ababa and seized power on 28 May. "Government troops turned on one another," read one contemporary account. "Soldiers wantonly looted state property." Tesfaye informed the U.S. chargé d'affaires in Addis Ababa that he could no longer control the situation, then after announcing a unilateral cease-fire he fled for the safety of the Italian Embassy. The General remained a virtual prisoner in the Embassy until 2 June 2004, when he was killed in a brawl with his fellow Derg member and former Foreign Minister
Birhanu Bayeh
, who had accompanied him into the Embassy 13 years earlier.
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...
n general who was President of Ethiopia for one week in late May 1991.
Tesfaye was a student at Holetta Military Academy, where he met 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...
; according to Gebru Tareke, along with Legesse Asfaw and Gebreyes Wolde Hana Tesfaye was part of Mengistu's inner circle, his "pals Mengistu knew more intimately in less pressing times, men who played and drank with him and stood by him during the bloody factional days of the Derg." While a colonel, Tesfaye was a member of the Derg
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 committee which seized power from Emperor Haile Selassie, and which would later order the executions of his officials and allegedly the murder of the deposed Emperor himself. He had military successes in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
and Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
, notably as commander of the forces around Jijiga
Jijiga
Jijiga is a city in eastern Ethiopia and the capital of the Somali Region of that country. Located in the Jijiga Zone approximately 80 km east of Harar and 60 km west of the border with Somalia, this city has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 1,609 meters above sea...
during the Ogaden War
Ogaden War
The Ogaden War was a conventional conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia in 1977 and 1978 over the Ogaden region of Ethiopia. In a notable illustration of the nature of Cold War alliances, the Soviet Union switched from supplying aid to Somalia to supporting Ethiopia, which had previously been...
.
Elevated to the rank of Lt. General, Tesfaye Gebre Kidan went on to serve as the long time Minister of Defence
Ministry of Defense (Ethiopia)
The Ministry of National Defense of Ethiopia is a cabinet level office in charge of defense related matters of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia...
, then on 14 May 1988 was made military governor and general commander in Eritrea
History of Eritrea
Eritrea is an ancient name, associated in the past with its Greek form Erythraía , and its derived Latin form Erythræa. This name relates to that of the Red Sea, then called the Erythræan Sea, from the Greek for "red", ἐρυθρος). The Italians created the colony of Eritrea in the 19th century around...
. He was recalled to Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
from Asmara
Asmara
Asmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...
to serve on the military tribunal, which tried the high ranking officers who had tried to depose President Mengistu in 1989 following the decisive defeat at the Battle of Shire. He became vice-President of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
The People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was the official name of Ethiopia from 1987 to 1991, as established by the Communist government of Mengistu Haile Mariam and the Workers' Party of Ethiopia...
until 21 May 1991, when Mengistu fled as rebel forces closed in on the capital, making him acting president.
Upon assuming power, General Tesfaye Gebre Kidan found his government falling apart as the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
The Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front is the ruling political coalition in Ethiopia. It is an alliance of four other groups: the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization , the Amhara National Democratic Movement , the South Ethiopian Peoples' Democratic Front The Ethiopian People's...
marched into Addis Ababa and seized power on 28 May. "Government troops turned on one another," read one contemporary account. "Soldiers wantonly looted state property." Tesfaye informed the U.S. chargé d'affaires in Addis Ababa that he could no longer control the situation, then after announcing a unilateral cease-fire he fled for the safety of the Italian Embassy. The General remained a virtual prisoner in the Embassy until 2 June 2004, when he was killed in a brawl with his fellow Derg member and former Foreign Minister
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ethiopia)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the Ethiopian government ministry which oversees the foreign relations of Ethiopia....
Birhanu Bayeh
Birhanu Bayeh
Birhanu Beyeh was a politician in Ethiopia. He was Foreign Minister during the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia . Prior to that, he was chairman of the Derg's committee for legal affairs....
, who had accompanied him into the Embassy 13 years earlier.