The Red Terror in Ethiopia (1976–1978) was a brutal political campaign led by the ruling Derg military regime under Mengistu Haile Mariam. It aimed to eliminate opposition, particularly leftist groups like the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP). Thousands of suspected opponents were arrested, tortured, and executed, often in public. Bodies were left on the streets as warnings, and families were forced to pay for the bullets used in executions. The period was marked by extreme violence, mass killings, and repression, leaving a lasting scar on Ethiopia’s history. This period characterizes the takeover of power by Mengitsu and triggered a period of continuous political instability and disorder throughout Ethiopia after he deposed Emperor Haile Selassie. The Derg regime pursued every person who rebelled against their control through mass arrests, which ended with brutal torture and executions of thousands.
The Derg viewed the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP) as their chief opponent during that time. Severe massacres occurred between the EPRP and the Derg forces in their ongoing conflict. Following the bloody persecution campaign, Mengistu achieved victory at such a great human cost that more than 700,000 people lost their lives.
Power demonstrates its total disregard for human life through the Red Terror to accomplish silencing its people.
